


Pieces

by StarlitSky



Series: After The Championship [2]
Category: Mutant League (Cartoon)
Genre: AO3 exclusive, Courtroom Drama, Engagement, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Family, Friendship, Honeymoon, Mutant Anatomy, Part 2, Romance, Sequel, Series, Trilogy, Wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-27
Updated: 2011-05-11
Packaged: 2017-10-18 17:43:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 51,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/191522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarlitSky/pseuds/StarlitSky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two months after the events of Fractured, Bones is happily focusing on his future with Sherry, and Razor is planning to take the next step in his relationship with Derikka during her tour across the country. Meanwhile, Emmaline is trying to sell her house while waiting for the day of her divorce trial to arrive. During this unhappy time, she finds solace and comfort in a place she doesn't expect. Book 2 in a trilogy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So here we are again; part two of a trilogy that few, if any, will actually read. But that's okay; if I was only worried about being popular, I wouldn't have bothered writing this in the first place. Mwa-ha-ha.
> 
> Warnings for the previous installment still apply; this remains the most sexually explicit set of stories I've ever written, though this part is not _quite_ as detailed as book 1. So if you're underage, please take a look over my more family-friendly work instead. If you're a mature adult, feel free to stick around.
> 
> Oh, and in case anyone's wondering (yeah right) there is even less mention of sports in this one than the last one. It was a conscious decision on my part; I learned during the earlier drafts of this tale that detailing the games gets way too much fun for me, and it eventually detracts from the main story, so I kept them to a minimum.
> 
> Anything else? Nope, not really. Other than if you haven't figured out who my favorite mutor is yet, you sure will this time 'round. R&E (relax and enjoy).

_There's no escape now_  
_No mercy no more_  
_No remorse 'cause I still remember_  
_The smile when you tore me apart_  
~Angels;  Within Temptation

"Bones, dear, would you mind setting the dining room table?"

Bones looked up from the magazine he'd been reading. His mother was moving briskly back and forth somewhere on the second floor, doing what he wasn't really sure. He could tell she was in a hurry, though, by the way her high heels clicked rapidly on the hardwood floors.

"Are we expecting company?" he wondered as he got up and went to the kitchen cabinet that housed the dishes.

"No, but the real estate agent will be here soon, and people like a house to look 'lived in.' A nice table setting might make a family feel more at home."

Bones could understand that—and he was glad that he had actually paid attention to the seemingly mundane details he'd learned during the last two months he'd spent with Sherry Steele, like setting a classy dinner table.

His mother, Emmaline Brooks, was in the process of divorcing her second husband--for a plethora of reasons, the number one reason being that he had sabotaged her chances of reconciling a mere lover's quarrel with her first husband, and also because he'd faked documents to make her believe that her son--him--had died in infancy.

Well, that was actually two reasons, but still...

Bringing the case to court took time, so while she waited, Mom was selling the monster of a house that had been Steven Brooks' wedding gift to her. Which suited Derikka, Bones' twin sister, just fine. She had always hated this place for that very reason.

His mother came briskly into the dining room as he was adding the final touches to the table, smoothing her hair with one hand and dialing a cell phone with the other. As always, she was dressed impeccably, not a strand of her russet hair out of place. She was in her early forties now, but she still had model-worthy looks.

"Darn it, Cecilia," she muttered, hanging up the phone.

Bones hid a smile. Cecilia Wintercrest, his mother's best friend, was handling most of her personal affairs during this rough time. Only Cecilia's business life was as tumultuous as her personal life, so she was difficult to get hold of sometimes.

"I hate to bother you again," Mom said apologetically, "but someone has to feed that pet of your sister's while she's away."

"I think I can handle it," said Bones as he straightened a glass, letting his smile show this time.

Mom sighed in relief. "Thank you, sweetie."

She kissed his cheek and hurried out of the room again. Bones headed out of the dining room, through the kitchen and up the main staircase to the second floor. There was also a third floor, with an attic that covered almost the entire length of the house, but he had never been inside it. Derikka had joked that there was probably a body or two stashed in there--and that they should go look in the dead of night sometime, but he suspected that she just wanted to lock him in.

Their mother had never confirmed it, but Derikka firmly believed that she was the older twin, and that meant that she needed to catch up on all the years she'd lost messing with her 'kid brother.' Sometimes, Bones thought that Derikka needed a good spanking...but that was Razor's job, not his.

Speaking of his best friend; he was out of town at the moment. Derikka, the pop star nudging her way into the rock scene, had left a few weeks ago to start her tour across the States to promote her new album, which was coming out later this month. Once the tour was over, she would be stopping home for a short break--and then she would be heading out again to hit the global stage.

Razor, unable to bear being away from his lady love for very long, had joined her for the current tour, though he would be forced to stay behind for the next one. The idea of being apart for months practically had the lizoid in tears.

Bones teased him about it, but honestly, he would probably react the same way if he had to separate from Sherry right now.

Their romance had taken its time developing, but once it had bloomed, it had flourished. They hadn't officially moved in together yet--he was kind of saving that change until after they were married--but he spent most of his nights with her anyway. More than he spent at home, that was for sure.

In fact, he rarely went to the apartment he shared with Razor these days. His evenings and nights were spent with Sherry, while his mornings and afternoons were spent here, with his mother. She was lonely right now with Derikka gone, and the divorce proceedings weren't pleasant. But even if she didn't need him around, he would have had an awfully hard time tearing himself away from her.

For almost his entire life he had believed that he had no mother--that she was either dead or didn't want him. It had come as quite a shock when he learned that not only was his mother alive, she had spent the past twenty years loving him desperately while imagining what he might have grown up to be since she believed him to be dead. A shock, but a welcome one.

Learning that he had a twin sister was no less shocking, but he'd come to adore them both...even if, he thought wryly, Derikka was kind of a nut.

Case in point: instead of a cute, fluffy bunny or some other fuzzy creature, she had purchased a corn snake as her beloved pet, which their mother lived in quiet terror of and refused to go anywhere near. Granted, it was a pink snake, and less than eight inches long...but he'd seen Derikka calmly feeding dead mice to her like they were candy.

Definitely a nut...but a cute one.

"Okay, Libby," he said after he'd warmed a frozen mouse to room temperature. "Dinnertime."

Like most snakes, Libby couldn't actually hear him, but she detected the vibrations his movements made and came slithering out of her log. He dropped the stiff white mouse into her cage; she snatched it up in her mouth and slunk back into hiding.

"Bon Appétit."

He headed back downstairs, where he found his mother checking her reflection in the foyer mirror; the potential buyers must be on their way.

"I'll be off, then," he said, pausing to kiss her cheek as he went by. The last time he had stuck around after the real estate agent showed up, the buyers spent more time following him around asking for autographs than looking at the house.

"All right, dear," she responded, sounding reluctant to see him go. "Say hello to Sherry for me."

"Will do. We'll stop by for dinner again sometime."

Not that he could actually eat with them, but that didn't mean he didn't enjoy socializing.

He had been nervous at first to introduce Sherry to his mom, but the two had hit it off immediately. Sherry got along with Derikka, too...though Bones suspected that Derikka, who had a penchant for mischief beneath that sweet smile of hers, liked to say embarrassing things about him when he wasn't around.

As he headed outside, the real estate agent and her latest batch of possible buyers were just coming up the winding driveway, so he quickly grabbed his helmet, hopped on his bike and roared away.

* * *

Razor waited until Derikka had closed the door to their hotel room before wrapping his arms and tail around her from behind. She gave a whimper and started tugging her earrings out. "Raze, please, I'm beat."

"That's why I plan to do all the work," he purred, nuzzling her cheek as he stroked up and down between her thighs with his tail.

"Don't you ever get tired?" she wondered as she pulled out the clips holding her hair up.

"Occasionally. But I can't help it if you rile me up. You look so hot up there."

"It was a middle school performance," she said dryly.

"And your point is...?"

Laughing in defeat, she pushed him away and tugged off her boots. "Let me take a shower first, please," she begged.

"Better yet, I'll hop in and help," he said eagerly.

"I give up," she sighed, shrugging off her jacket.

"Good."

Razor waited until she had grabbed fresh clothes and a towel, then gleefully nudged her into the adjoining bathroom. He helped her undress, kicked off his own clothes, then all but shoved her into the shower stall in the corner. It wasn't huge, but there was enough room for the two of them to stand inside comfortably. Not that he had any complaints about being crammed up against his girlfriend.

Pretending like he wasn't there, Derikka started scrubbing her hair, while he shamelessly admired how her neck curved as she tilted her head back into the spray--to say nothing of her chest.

"Razor," she sighed as she massaged shampoo into her scalp, "my breasts _aren't_ that dirty."

"Just making sure," he said cheekily, as he continued to rub lather all over her soft, silky breasts.

All things considered, they weren't that big, but neither was the rest of her, so anything larger than what she had would look funny. Sighing in contentment, he continued to massage, stroke and tease his second-favorite part of her anatomy, knowing that it aroused her far more than she was letting on.

When she finally awarded him with a tiny shiver, he brushed himself against her, pulling her close to his wet skin as he slithered his tail up and down her body. She shivered again and clung to him, her skin gleaming in the soft light shining from above.

Growling softly, Razor pushed her up against the wall of the shower, holding her there gently as he rubbed his tail against her warm sex. Her face was upturned, her eyes closed, and he watched closely, loving the sounds she made and how her face changed as she grew nearer and nearer to climax.

When she let out a shrill cry, he hoisted her into his arms and clamped his mouth over hers, holding her close to him as her body shook with orgasm. When it passed, he set her down again and finished washing her normally.

Afterward, he helped dry her off, then lifted her into his arms and carried her back into their hotel room, where he laid her, both of them still naked, on the bed. He started to ruthlessly kiss her from head to toe, stroking, caressing and teasing her sensitive skin with his fingers, lips, and tongue.

Derikka squirmed and let out a low moan of desire as he kissed a line down her middle. "More," she begged breathlessly. "Please, don't stop."

Like he'd even consider it. He snaked his tongue out and, very gently, coiled it around her clitoris, which he softly began to squeeze. Derikka jerked in response, arching her back and moaning loudly.

Her cries continued, slipping out between sharp gasps and moans of his name. He loved listening to all of it, though the throb between his own legs was getting distracting. Resolving to ignore it, he brought the tip of his tail to her small opening and, after slowing teasing a circle around it, pressed it inside her about an inch.

He could only go a little more before he worried about it turning too thick, so he pulled it out and slowly slid it back in again. All the while, he continued to softly squeeze her clitoris in a rhythmic fashion with his tongue, until her body arched one final time with a piercing cry of ecstasy.

When she fell back against the mattress, trembling and panting, he absently licked the tip of his tail before he scooted up to lay beside her. Head propped on his palm, he watched, eyes loving, as she slowly calmed down again.

"I love it when you do that," she panted, smiling.

"Glad you approve," he grinned.

She chuckled for a moment, then closed her eyes. Razor tenderly kissed her cheek and slid an arm around her, ready to hold her until she fell asleep, then slip away to the bathroom to deal with his own anxious excitement, but then her eyes opened again.

"It feels good," she said softly, "but it kind of hurts, too. It's so hard."

Razor briefly lifted his tail near his eyes, as though admiring it. "It's not as hard as that other part of me," he said slyly.

"I've heard," Derikka went on, "that a guy gets softer if he's had an orgasm or two earlier in the day."

"I've heard that too, but I think they're talking about norms."

Of course, he'd never actually tested this theory.

"It wouldn't hurt to try," she said, sitting up.

Razor breathed a sigh and closed his eyes for a moment. "Dare, we've talked about this. We can't go all the way."

In the beginning, Derikka had readily accepted the notion that they would never be able to have actual intercourse, but as their level of intimacy continued to grow, so did her curiosity that there might be some way they could make it work.

"I want to," she insisted. "I love you and I want you to make love to me, _really_ make love to me."

"It's too risky," he said firmly. "Even if it meant I'd never get off again, I'd never take you. I'd kill myself if I hurt you."

Derikka breathed a sigh, then leaned over to take something out of the nightstand drawer. "At least let me take care of your little 'problem' for you," she said.

"Hey, it's not so little," Razor quipped as he lay back.

"Like I could forget," she retorted, with a wry smile.

He just grinned, crossing his ankles and folding his arms beneath his head, waiting for her to pleasure him. She'd gotten pretty good at it, her virginal shyness long gone...though she still was, technically, a virgin.

Taking his scaled arousal into her hands, she stroked him deeply as she tugged on his favorite brand of condom, then leaned down to nip at his length. Razor jerked in response; oh, but he loved it when she did that...

No other woman he'd ever been with had considered biting him, but leave it to Derikka to try it. When she saw how wild it drove him, she'd proceeded to bite him all over his body, a favor he'd like to return...though thanks to his sharp fangs he wasn't comfortable giving her more than a gentle nip or two.

Derikka was being anything but gentle, which was good. A mutant could use less force, but her small hands needed to be fierce to get a reaction out of him, which she'd learned early on. Between stroking him roughly, she continued to nip up and down his length, until he was moaning in utter ecstasy.

As his excitement was nearing its peak, Derikka paused to slip on her favorite accessory; a vibrating glove that was guaranteed to send him in orbit. It only took a few deep strokes with that thing pulsing like mad to send sparks across his vision. Gripping the sheets, he arched with a cry that was probably heard in Tahiti.

When his head finally stopped swimming, Derikka switched off the glove, crawled across the bed and flopped down at his side. He put his arms around her, holding her close to his chest as his heart slowed. "I love you, Dare," he said sleepily.

She kissed his chest. "Love you too, Raze."

Her leg moved up to curl around his thigh. He absently slid his tail around her waist. "And I still want you to make love to me."

Razor bit back a sigh. "Dare..."

"I mean it. I want to know what it's like. I want to feel what it's like to have you inside me."

"Dare, please stop talking like that," he begged. "You're going to rile me up all over again."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

Sighing loudly now, he turned over, grabbed her wrists and pinned her under him. "You know, you really are a little minx sometimes," he informed her.

"But you love me anyway."

"I do. But since you started this, you darn well better be ready for round two."


	2. Chapter 2

Emmaline waved goodbye to the potential house buyers and closed the front door with a sigh. It was turning out to be a lot harder than she thought it would be to sell her home--or rather the place she currently lived in. She had stopped thinking of it as her home in the last two months.

When she first put it on the market for a fraction of its real value, she thought it would be snatched up, but it seemed that her real estate agent was right; too low of a price made buyers suspicious. "So, why's the price so low?" they kept asking, in a tone that said what they actually meant: 'what's wrong with the place?'

She would give it away for free if she could--the money meant nothing to her--but that would look even more suspicious. She was ready to throw her hands in the air and exclaim, "I'm in the middle of divorcing my sick bastard of a husband and I want out of the place he bought for me!"

Raising the price to sell it quicker sounded backwards to her, but it was starting to look like that was what she needed to do.

Sighing again, she started straightening things up--people always moved things when they viewed the house--while she thought about what to have for dinner. As she was adjusting the vase on the table near the front door, her eye fell on the brochure left by her real estate agent, flashily announcing that her house was for sale.

Seeing the name written at the bottom made her jaw tighten. Her own name. Emmaline Brooks--but not for much longer. As soon as this messy divorce was complete, she was going back to her maiden name.

No, she thought, as she tossed the brochure aside and headed for the kitchen. She had done that the last time--when leaving her husband had been a huge mistake. And even though he was gone now--dead--they had never actually divorced. In her heart they were still married, and always would be.

Forget Emmaline Drogues. The second the ink on the divorce papers dried, she was going back to being Emmaline Justice.

As she came to stand in the middle of the kitchen, Emmaline suddenly felt stifled. It was different when Bones, her wonderful son, was around, but when she was alone...everything she saw and touched reminded her of that bastard Steven Brooks. It tightened her stomach into sour knots.

Feeling sickened, she hurried back to the foyer, grabbed her knee-length maroon coat and hurried out to the garage. With no real destination in mind, she got into her car and drove. Just being on the road, putting more and more distance between her and that house...it helped clear her mind. Enough for her to start to feel hungry, and she headed into the main part of town, looking for a nice restaurant, or a classy café for some hot coffee.

The thought made her stomach tighten again. It was at a classy café that she first met Steven, over twenty-five years ago. She had been little more than a child then, a starry-eyed teen fresh out of high school, ambitious to start her future. Steven was older than her, and he had tried to charm her from the very first.

They had flirted on and off for months, even went on a handful of dates. Then she started college, with no intention of getting involved with anyone while she was there, though she told Steven they would 'give it a go' when she graduated. And then, on the very day she received her diploma, she happened to bump into the captain of the visiting football team. She knew nothing of sports, but he didn't seem to mind. He was so charming, so sweet, and so vibrant and full of life...

Emmaline gave herself a shake, dispelling the memory. She wouldn't think about that now--she would start crying if she did. And she wouldn't go to any 'classy' place. If that was where people like Steven Brooks liked to hang out, then she was going to go somewhere a little more seedy.

Driving past the quaint, pretty cafés and boutiques, she headed toward the outer edge of the area, where the 'dives' and 'riffraff' were reputed to be. And as she slowed down on a particularly shabby street, she caught sight of something that made her stop altogether.

A car, specifically. She recognized the red, eye-catching shape immediately. She might have figured this was the kind of place he liked to hang out, she thought wryly, and pulled into the parking lot alongside the massive vehicle.

The coffee and sandwich shop wasn't much to look at, but when she stepped inside, she noted that it had a friendly atmosphere. Not too friendly, though. Some of the patrons were chatting happily, while others were hunched over their meals, their body language clearly saying they wanted to be left alone. Undaunted by the mixture of cozy and intimidating, Emmaline strolled across the floor to the back of the room, where a figure was hunched over a cup of extremely hot, black coffee.

"Hey, Mal. Mind if I join you?"

Malone lifted his head, clearly surprised to see her here. "Em? No, not at all."

He gestured to the seat across from him, and she sat down. "This doesn't strike me as your usual hangout," Malone observed, with a touch of wry humor.

Emmaline smiled wanly. "That's precisely the point."

A petite mutant waitress came by; Emmaline ordered a small coffee with a touch of cream and sugar. Ordinarily she liked her coffee extra sweet, unlike her daughter who drank black or nothing, but tonight she rather wanted that bitter tang. It was more appropriate to her mood.

"So, how have you been?" she asked after the waitress had handed her a menu and walked away again.

The two of them had only spoken a handful of times back when she was married to Malone's best friend, and they hadn't seen each other during the twenty years that followed, but ever since she reunited with her son, they spoke on a fairly regular basis.

He wasn't the friendliest of people, but seeing him had become a bright spot in her life. They both got to share memories of her husband, and that, she felt, was something they both needed right now.

"I've been better," he responded gruffly.

Emmaline bit her lip. "Thrasher?" she guessed.

He grunted in affirmation. "We haven't spoken in weeks."

She had figured as much. The two of them had a falling out a while ago, and it didn't look like they were going to reconcile any time soon. She felt bad for him. Thrasher was his only family.

And she, for the last two months, had gotten to enjoy the perfect son--to say nothing of her daughter. Derikka was pretty much perfect, too. She had always been clean-cut and responsible, a wonderful role model for her young fan base. Sure, they teased each other from time to time--but that was what mothers and daughters did. And she had even overheard her talking to Razor one day about not being able to be completely intimate, which meant she was still a virgin, despite being in her twenties now.

Which also meant that Derikka didn't have to worry about the usual problems sex could cause, including unexpected pregnancy. Not that pregnancy was supposed to be possible in a relationship like hers. Since their introduction to society twelve years ago, it had been deemed impossible for mutants to impregnate norms. It was possible, though improbable, for them to impregnate each other, but in all this time no union between a mutant and a normal human had resulted in a child...which didn't surprise Emmaline, since all mutants except ones like Cecilia were strongly advised to never have unprotected sex with a normal human, thanks to the potentially deadly mutated bacteria they carried--or advised to never have sex with a normal human at all. Despite a lack of actual attempts at conception, scientists had declared it a physical impossibility. Their physiology was too different, making the chance of actually conceiving astronomically low.

Derikka and Razor didn't seem concerned with this particular issue. In fact, they were perfectly happy together, and Emmaline was glad for it. The only thing she could complain about where her daughter was concerned was that darn snake...

Malone suddenly shook his head, sullen. "I must have gone wrong somewhere," he muttered, his hat shielding his eyes. "I thought I taught her better than to lose her head over a man. Changing teams because she can't deal with something is no basis for a decision. It's running away."

"I'm sorry," was all she could think of to say.

Malone grunted again. "She'll figure it out. She better, because when the next season starts, I'm not telling my team to pull any punches just because she's carrying out her little rebellion."

Emmaline wasn't sure what to say, so she was glad when her coffee arrived, giving her an excuse not to talk as she sipped. "Ready to order?" asked the waitress.

"Just a chicken sandwich, please."

Malone didn't react to the order, so she assumed it was safe. Some of the other meals on the menu didn't look quite so...norm friendly.

"How are the, uh, divorce proceedings going?" asked Malone, after they'd sat in silence for a few minutes.

Emmaline hid a smile; he sounded almost as awkward as she felt. "They're going," she said lamely. "Our first court appearance is scheduled for next month."

Malone nodded slightly and took a gulp of his own coffee. Emmaline was glad that they hadn't started talking until recently--that meant it was unlikely he would be called in to testify. Derikka was expected to, though, which meant she would have to delay starting her world tour while she appeared in court. Her attorney was considering bringing in Bones, too, but it hadn't been decided yet.

Her sandwich came, and she took a bite--and nearly gagged. The chicken was barbecued, which was fine, but whatever sauce they used was extremely spicy. She coughed delicately and took a sip of coffee, hoping Malone hadn't noticed.

After taking another few bites, she gave up and went back to the coffee. Malone had already finished his and looked ready to leave; Emmaline gazed at him through the curls of steam rising from her mug. She didn't quite feel ready to be alone again, not just yet.

"Want to go for a walk?" she asked softly, trying not to sound too shy about it and failing.

Malone's lips quirked into a smile beneath his hat. "Sure."

* * *

When Bones pulled up outside Sherry's small cottage house, there were lights on inside, so he parked at the curb and headed inside. She often had dinner at the studio, since he couldn't eat with her, so they usually spent this time of the day unwinding before bed.

They went out a lot, too, enjoying a walk through the park or visiting one of their other haunts. He quickly figured out that Sherry wasn't interested in going out tonight; when he stepped through the door, she was curled up on the sofa, a cup of tea in one hand and a book in the other.

"Hey, gorgeous," she greeted with a smile.

"Hey, yourself," he said wryly, bending to kiss her. "Busy day?" he wondered as he sat beside her.

"Sort of," Sherry responded, with a yawn and a stretch. "How's your mother?"

"Kind of disappointed," he said, after thinking about it for a moment. "There are a lot of nibbles on the house, but no bites yet."

"I could spread word around the office that it's for sale," Sherry suggested.

"Would you? That would be great."

Smiling, Bones took her hand, which was adorned with a flashy white gold ring, covered in a cluster of white and pink diamonds. Bones wasn't sure what it was worth, but he knew it had to be a ton. His father had spared no expense whatsoever when it came to purchasing the symbol of his love for Bones' mother.

Sherry had almost fainted when he first presented it to her, followed by a fountain of tears--especially after she learned of the ring's original owner. She had almost felt unworthy of something that had so much history, but she had accepted it and wore it with pride. Bones understood how she felt, but it was only the engagement ring. His mother still had the matching wedding band hidden away somewhere...and his father's wedding ring, he assumed, was buried with him.

Finding similar white gold bands hadn't been difficult, and they were put safely away for now. As for the engagement ring, Sherry didn't even have to have it re-sized. Her finger was the exact same size as his mother's the day she was married.

And speaking of married...Bones could scarcely believe that their wedding was scheduled to take place a mere two weeks from now. It was going to be an extremely low-key, no-frills kind of thing, with only his family and closest friends present. If it were up to him, it would have already happened, but they needed to wait until Derikka got back from her brief tour.

As if reading his mind--she had an annoying habit of doing that--the phone suddenly rang. Sherry leaned over to answer it, then passed it to him after saying a brief hello. "Guess who," she said teasingly.

Wondering what his hyper-active twin wanted, Bones took the receiver. "Hey, Dare. What's up?"

"Oh, nothing much," came Derikka's sleepy voice on the other end of the line, along with a crackle of static.

Bones wondered where she was tonight. Though she had a large tour bus complete with bunks, she and Razor were staying at hotels between performances...something he was sure Derikka's band appreciated.

"I just got a call that the last high school on my list canceled my visit due to a sudden head lice outbreak," she went on, "so I'll be coming home a little early."

"Oh?" Bones leaned over to Sherry and asked, "Does that mean we can get married sooner?"

"Our wedding is scheduled for the end of the month," Sherry said calmly, her eyes on her book, "so that's when we're going to have it."

"I'll be happy just to sleep in my own bed for a change," said Derikka with a yawn.

Somewhere in the background, Bones could hear Razor's voice. "But your bed isn't big enough for two," he complained.

"Exactly. I'll be able to get some sleep for a change."

At times like this, Bones was glad he didn't have any skin, so he couldn't embarrass himself by blushing. Which was what he always felt like doing when his twin's sex life got too close for comfort. "Say hi to Raze for me," he said dryly.

"Say hi to him yourself. I'm going to go brush my teeth."

There was a rustling sound, followed by muffled voices. A second later his best friend came on the line. "Hey, Bones, been to any good orgies lately?" Razor asked cheerfully.

"Without you? Never."

Beside him, Sherry snorted softly. He scooted to the other end of the sofa and spoke to the smart-aleck lizoid for a while more, then hung up.

"They sound happy enough," Sherry commented as he put his arm around her.

"They are," he agreed. "I'm a little worried about Mom, though."

"I have to wonder," said Sherry, setting her book down and looking at him, "if she hates that house so much, why doesn't she stay with friends until it sells?"

Bones had thought about that too, and Cecilia had already offered to put her up. But Mom knew better than anyone that Cecilia liked to 'entertain' a multitude of guests, so she had politely declined. If he had thought she was in any danger of encountering her soon-to-be-ex-husband, Bones would probably have insisted she leave, but Steven Brooks had only come back once, a few days after she threw her wedding ring at him. He had taken a pile of papers from his study and then stormed off, and he hadn't been seen since--luckily for him.

Still, as he put his arms tighter around Sherry and held her close, Bones found himself wishing that his mother had someone to turn to during this rough time, someone she could go to for friendship and comfort.

But his mother had proven herself to be a strong, independent woman, and Bones was confident that she would stand strong until all of this was over.


	3. Chapter 3

"I just wish I hadn't weakened," Emmaline sighed, her eyes on the sidewalk as she and Malone walked along the darkened street together. Cars were scarce, and the streetlights glowed dully. Somewhere in the distance a lonely dog barked and howled. "But after so many years of him hanging around, and spending so much time together, I didn't think marrying him would make much of a difference."

The only real difference marriage had made in her relationship to Steven was that they started having sex--if sex that only lasted three to five minutes even counted.

She sighed again. "Something told me that saying yes was a huge mistake, but I just didn't want to be alone anymore."

Through her ramblings, Malone kept quiet, and when she looked at him his ghostly white eyes were distant. She cringed. "Sorry--here I am babbling about my own problems while you have plenty of your own to worry about."

"No need to apologize," said Malone, in his usual gruff manner. "Sarah's gone. I did what I could to save her, but it wasn't enough. I've come to terms with it, and the fact that I'll be alone for the rest of my life. It's the hand I've been dealt."

He shrugged, as if it all didn't matter. Emmaline suddenly felt petty and weak, and not just because she was standing next to the tallest mutant she knew. "I wish I could do that," she lamented. "My emotions...just turn them off. I would sleep better at night, that's for sure."

She laughed weakly. With his thumb, Malone nudged his hat back a fraction and looked at her. "I wish I could do that too, sometimes. I've learned how to put my emotions away where they can't be seen, but I never learned how to turn them off completely."

He nudged his hat back down, and Emmaline felt like kicking herself. He didn't outright say that even though it didn't show on his face, it didn't mean he didn't still feel pain, but the implication had been clear.

Back in his college football days, he had earned the reputation of being a cool, emotionless force on the field, and she had applied that persona to the being with her now. If anything, she'd proven herself to be a consistently poor judge of someone's true character.

Not wanting to speak anymore for fear of putting her foot in her mouth again, Emmaline walked with her eyes glued to the sidewalk, hands buried deep in her coat pockets. It was getting extremely late and the air was chilly; the lonely dog howled again.

Malone stopped walking. "It's late," he noted, his eyes on the horizon. "We should probably call it a night."

Emmaline nodded wordlessly, and they walked silently back to their cars. As she reached to pull out her keys, Malone paused, his massive vehicle acting like a wall between them, though he still towered above it. "I know it's rough right now," he began, his voice dropping to what almost might be called a gentle tone, "but don't give up, Em. You deserve better than that."

Emmaline nodded again and ducked into her car, so he wouldn't see the swell of tears his words had caused. What she deserved, she thought bitterly as she started the engine and drove away, was a swift kick in the pants right about now. No matter what lies Steven Brooks had told her, she should have fought harder for Butch. What she should have done, even after she thought he had left her for another woman, was storm up to him and demand to know why, regardless of what had happened between the two of them, he was so willing to give up his only daughter.

If only she had done that...if only she'd had the courage to face him.

If only, if only. It was such a waste of time. She hadn't been brave enough, and now it was too late. And maybe revenge wasn't the best thing, but it was all she had right now. She had to rip Steven Brooks out of her life.

But she had, at least, been able to reunite with her son. Through astronomical odds, he had somehow come back to her, and she vowed to never let him go, no matter what happened. If only she'd had this kind of strength, this resolve, back then--but there she went again.

She had no right to complain. She hadn't fought hard enough, and this was the result. Malone, on the other hand, had done everything he could to save his wife, though it hadn't been enough. But he at least tried, so he no doubt slept better at night with the knowledge there was nothing more he could have done. Better than her, anyway.

With a heavy heart, she parked her car in the garage and headed back into the house, not bothering to turn on any lights as she headed up to her room. She had adopted one of the guest rooms, since she refused to ever sleep in the master bedroom again. It was a little on the small side, with a light oak dresser and matching nightstand, a worn wooden chair tucked under an old-fashioned writing desk, a small lamp on the nightstand, and a single bed with a pale green comforter.

The green complemented the cream carpeting, which matched the cream wallpaper, lined with green and yellow stripes. It was acceptably gender-neutral, she thought, not really feeling overly feminine or masculine. Not that she really cared at this point.

After changing out of her clothes and slipping into a long nightgown, she curled up under the covers and closed her eyes, though sleep never came easy these days. There were too many memories playing behind her tired lids, some from the recent past and others clawing their way to the surface after being buried for twenty years.

Thoughts of Butch were the toughest to deal with, especially when she lay alone at night. When they were first married, she had naively--stupidly--believed that everyone, everywhere had sex as mind-blowing as they did. Why else would everyone want to have it so often?

She had learned better since then. Sex with her husband had been so amazing for two reasons she could think of. Butch, for one, had taken his time to get to know every inch of her body, and for another...their love for each other had been so intense, turning those feelings into physical passion had been easy.

Now she knew that few people had it that good, and she would never have it that good again. She would never have anything related to a romantic relationship again, but as Malone had put it earlier, she had come to terms with it, and with the concept of nothing but lonely nights in her future.

The loneliness might be easier to deal with if it weren't for the memories of what she once had, and she tossed and turned for a long time before she finally drifted into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

Razor lay quietly in bed, his eyes on Derikka, who lay sleeping soundly beside him. This was, without a doubt, his most passionate and intimate relationship to date. He hadn't known how things would turn out that night, over three months ago, when he approached her for the first time, but what they had now...

He wanted it to last forever. Marriage was something he had never considered before, but with Derikka, he had more than just considered it. She didn't know it yet, but he'd bought a ring a few weeks ago. It was hidden back in his bedroom, waiting to be slipped onto his lady love's finger, but he was waiting for the right moment to ask. He pictured going for the whole nine yards: a massive, fancy dinner with a small orchestra playing in the background, flower petals strewn at their feet...

But Derikka wasn't a girl he needed to impress. She already loved him, and he knew in his heart she would never say no, no matter how he asked. But he still wanted it to be special. A boat ride, maybe? A carriage ride through the woods? There were so many possibilities, he hadn't made up his mind yet. And he hadn't told anyone about his plans, not even Bones. He wanted Derikka to be completely surprised.

She certainly didn't suspect anything tonight, that was for sure. They'd spent hours lost in the throes of passion, until Derikka had finally fallen asleep out of sheer sexual exhaustion.

Her bringing up wanting to have straight intercourse bothered him a little, though. Her desire to be with him in every way was both touching and flattering, but it was still, and always would be, a risk he wasn't willing to take. Not only was she a norm, she was the smallest norm he'd ever taken into his bed before. And he had only heard but never actually seen what an extra-large mutant like himself could do to her a tiny girl like her, and he didn't want to--least of all with Derikka.

She suddenly stirred beside him, pulling him from his thoughts. He reached over to run his fingers softly down her face, love swelling in his heart until it hurt. He never wanted her to feel pain--physical or otherwise--and he especially didn't want her to feel that pain because of him. Sometimes he just wanted to wrap her in the safety of his arms and never let go, shielding her from all pain and harm. But that was impossible, so he did the only thing he could do. Hold her here and now, keeping her safe as she slept.

He eventually fell asleep himself and was disappointed when he opened his eyes the next morning and saw she was gone--but that happened frequently. She had to be up early each day as she hurried off to fulfill her tour obligations. Then she would come back to him later that day, and again at night.

Instead of riding with her and her band in the tour bus, he had the foresight to bring his own car, though it was sometimes a pain to follow the bus around. He didn't spend the time he found himself alone lying around; he liked to explore each town they visited. After getting dressed, he went out to take a ride through the town square.

The town they were in now was small, with an old-fashioned feel. He parked his car and went for a walk, admiring the classic lamp posts, park benches and wooden bridges placed over streams in the parks. And then he saw something that made him stop and stare, a feeling of discovery and satisfaction coming over him.

In the middle of the largest park, which was full of blossoming flowers, was a large wooden bridge stretching over where the stream widened into a pond. A huge tree grew beside it, its blossoms blowing in the breeze and littering the ground below with white petals.

The spot was dreamy and romantic--the perfect spot to bring Derikka to after the last stop on the tour, and ask her to be his wife.

The thought made him so excited he was disappointed that it would be a while longer before that could happen; they had a few more stops to make before the tour finally ended. He continued his walk, making note of local restaurants and picking out a small, cozy place they could eat at before taking a moonlit walk.

It was too perfect for words. Elated, he headed back to the hotel, where he waited to meet Derikka for lunch. He knew she would pick up on his mood and ask what was on his mind; he would reply with a mysterious, 'you'll find out'--which he knew would bug her to no end. Grinning, he parked himself in front of the TV to wait.

* * *

Bones woke up the next morning to see that Sherry was already up and dressed. "Early start today?" he guessed, trying to mask his disappointment and failing.

Sherry smiled and finished buttoning her jacket. "It won't take long. Why don't you come with me? We can go see your mom afterward."

Brightening at the idea, Bones got up, dressed quickly, and joined her outside in her jeep. When they arrived at the Dome they separated, Sherry heading to the office and Bones to the locker room. There wasn't anything scheduled right now, but that didn't mean one of his teammates wasn't around, practicing. The halls and locker room looked empty, though, so he headed to shoot a few hoops alone, remembering what happened during one of the last times he was on the basketball court.

Something that life-changing wasn't like to happen again, he thought wryly as he left the court later. He started heading for Sherry's office to see if she was ready to go yet...and then he felt a presence looming behind him.

It was unmistakable, though his lack of a nose spared him from the smell Derikka often complained about. Though he imagined if he had skin, it would start crawling.

"Hello, Bones," said the voice of Prigg, oily and insincere as only his voice could be.

For a moment Bones considered ignoring him, not in the mood for the confrontation he had known was coming all this time--not that he'd ever be in the mood, mind you--but then he thought that it would be seen as a sign of weakness.

He stopped walking and half-turned around, but he didn't bother speaking. He didn't have a thing to say.

It looked like Prigg did. A plethora of angry emotions flashed through his eyes, though his creepy smile didn't falter. "You've been keeping busy, I hear," he went on, his voice turning even oilier. "How is your mother?"

Bone's felt a knot of anger and disgust start to coil in his gut, but he forced himself to stay calm. If he didn't, he'd punch Prigg through a wall in a minute.

It had occurred to him a while back that Steven Brooks must hear a lot of Prigg's business, but it hadn't dawned on him that this door swung the other way--until now. Which meant that Prigg must have known all this time who and where his mother was, and he'd no doubt kept this information from him with glee.

"She's fine," Bones said evenly.

"Wonderful to hear," the corrupt commissioner purred.

Bones scoffed. "Whatever..."

He turned and started walking again. "But do keep this in mind," Prigg called, his voice changing in a way that made Bones pause. "If you're thinking about testifying at your mother's divorce trial, I've a word of advice for you."

His expression stony, Bones turned around again. Prigg smiled his most twisted smile. "Don't."

* * *

Slipping away from Derikka for the day was easy. Razor simply told her that he had some business to take care of and promised to meet up with her again later. She was going to be extra busy today anyway, or so she said as she hurried out the door after they had lunch together--although that didn't stop her from pausing to give him something to 'remember' her by.

Once they finally tore apart from each other, Razor hopped into his car and started driving. It took several boring hours, but eventually he pulled up outside his own apartment. Bones didn't appear to be around, so he went straight to his room and dug out the ring he'd bought shortly before leaving for the tour.

Like her mother, Derikka preferred silver-colored jewelry to gold, so the band was made from pure silver. A row of tiny white diamonds circled the band, with a slightly larger cluster in the center, hugging the main jewel: an amethyst.

Not a traditional engagement ring, but a fashion-iconoclast like Derikka wasn't a traditional kind of girl. And with the tour coming to an end sooner than they thought, it would only be a few more days before he could spring his little surprise.

The only drawback to this plan was that after they returned home, she was heading off on her world tour a few weeks after Bones' wedding. He knew he was going to miss her horribly, but his one consolation was that she would have to delay the tour a little until after she was done appearing in court--though this wasn't a nice reason. Her mother's lawyer had assured them all that divorce trials rarely lasted longer than a day, but that didn't mean that Derikka wasn't unhappy about letting her fans down.

Razor smiled wryly as he left the empty apartment and headed back out to his car. Sometimes, Derikka reminded him an awful lot of her twin brother.

And speaking of whom...he briefly considered seeing what Bones was up to before heading back, but he was probably with Sherry. Knowing the kind of 'fun' those two had been having lately, Razor didn't want to accidentally disturb them, so he decided just to phone later and got back on the road.

* * *

"Coming from him, it's not an idle threat."

Bones sat with Sherry on Sherry's porch swing, wrapped snugly in each other's arms as they watched the world drift by. Sherry tightened her arms around him, her head pressed to his chest. "He can't hurt you anymore, Bones," she said softly.

"It isn't me I'm worried about. It's the people in my life he can hurt to get to me."

Sherry grew quiet, though Bones knew that she was thinking the same thing he was. That everyone in his life knew the risks, and that letting himself be intimidated by Prigg and Brooks, even for the sake of his loved ones, would give them the advantage.

"Derikka is with Razor," he said, after thinking for a while, "but my mom..."

She was alone, and in that house her soon-to-be-ex-husband gave her. He had thought about inviting her to stay with him and Sherry until it sold, but he had a feeling she would refuse, even if he told her about today. Looking back at how level-headed and reasonable his dad had always been, even with his iron will and determination, Bones was starting to see where his own bullheadedness had come from.

"Maybe you could ask someone to stay with her for now," Sherry suggested.

"Like who?" Bones wondered.

Razor would probably agree, once Derikka was off on her world tour, but that wouldn't be until the trial was over anyway. He couldn't imagine asking anyone else on the team, especially not Darkstar. He was still busy filming his movie debut, though it was scheduled to wrap in another month or so.

Sherry gave a shrug. "What about Malone?"

Malone. The idea almost made him laugh--but then he sat up straighter. Malone had been a foul mood ever since Thrasher switched to the Screaming Evils, but he always seemed less abrasive when his mother was around. They hadn't spoken in about twenty years, but in recent weeks she and Malone seemed to be rediscovering their friendship.

Not that they'd known much about each other back in the day, or so his mother joked. Though the two couples had hung out together several times, they had spent more time making out with their significant other than actually talking about anything.

Still, if there was one person alive who even Prigg was wary of messing with, it was Malone.

"I doubt he'll agree," Bones finally said, "but I'll ask him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't remember Malone's late wife's name ever being mentioned, so I picked the name Sarah at random. If I'm mistaken and there actually is an official name, I'll be happy to change it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I stumbled across a singer named [Samantha Lombardi](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMA1xzaxsKQ) the other day and was like, "That's it! That's Derikka's singing voice!" (minus the Australian accent...)

Emmaline was busy watering her plants--old Hampton was in charge of the grounds, but the indoor plants were her responsibility--when the doorbell rang. She glanced at the clock; her next batch of buyers wasn't due for another hour. And it was still early for Bones to show up, but maybe, she thought as she absently smoothed her hair and went to the foyer, he had brought Sherry by for lunch.

Only when she opened the front door, instead of her son and his future wife, she found the towering figure of Malicious Malone.

"Hey, Mal," she greeted in surprise. "Something wrong?"

Looking amused, Malone tilted his hat back as he peered down at her. "Am I a harbinger of doom or something?" he wondered.

Flushing in embarrassment, Emmaline stepped back and ushered him inside. "I wasn't expecting company right now," she said uncertainly, "but I could put some coffee on, if you like."

Not that she could make a pot he would be satisfied with--the kind that was so strong it would probably eat a hole through her stomach.

Malone gave his head a shake. "No, thanks. I'll get right to the point: Prigg is back and making threats, so your son sent me over here to keep an eye on you."

Emmaline stopped and stared, a funny mixture of emotions running through her. On one hand she was touched, knowing that her son cared about her so much--but on the other hand she was a little embarrassed. Malone had better things to do with his time than babysit her.

"I hope he at least said please," she said, with a nervous laugh. Bones had a habit of being painfully blunt sometimes.

Malone responded in the usual way; with a noncommittal grunt. Smiling discreetly, Emmaline led the way to the kitchen, glad for once that the house was so large. Unlike a more modest house with lower ceilings, Malone was able to move around comfortably, and he sat at the center counter, though he had to scoot the stool back a bit to keep from bumping his head on the pots and pans hanging from the rack above.

Not knowing what else to do, Emmaline started on lunch, preparing crackers and sandwiches--though she didn't know if Malone would be interested in eating that sort of thing. But he seemed content to sit in the quiet of her kitchen and watch while she worked, neither of them speaking to fill the silence, marked only by the soft sounds she made as she moved dishes and filled cups. It was a comfortable kind of silence, the kind that didn't need to be filled with pointless chatter.

It was funny, thinking about it now. She had spent the last twenty years dreading to see him again, fearing the fallout that would take place when he confronted her about her separation from his best friend. Later, when she'd learned of what he'd become, that dread had grown into something closer to terror.

Yet here they were together, and her old fears were all but forgotten. She'd figured out since then that just because he was big and scary didn't mean he was going to hurt her. And thanks to occasional dinners and talks like the one they had last night, she had grown as comfortable with him as Cecilia--maybe even a little more so. Malone, she thought wryly, wasn't about to run off mid-sentence after receiving a mysterious call about some 'business' he just had to take care of.

The doorbell rang, and she set down the teapot she had been warming and went to answer it. "Hey, sweetie," she greeted warmly, giving her son a tight hug.

Bones was truly the perfect son; he didn't look the least bit embarrassed that she had greeted him like that in front of his fiancée. Smiling, she gave Sherry a hug, too, then led them to the kitchen. Bones stopped in the doorway, looking in surprise at Malone. "I wasn't expecting to see you here," he commented dryly.

Malone, who had helped himself to a sandwich, tilted his hat a bit as he looked at him, only one white eye showing as a result. "You told me to come," he said gruffly.

"Yeah, but you never said yes, exactly," Bones went on. "All I remember you saying was..."

As Emmaline watched, her son imitated Malone grunting and hanging up the phone. She quickly turned back to the lunch tray she had prepared as she bit back a snort of laughter. "Would you like some tea, Sherry?"

"Yes, please."

Sherry helped her carry the rest of the snacks out to the back patio. Bones followed them a few minutes later, and the three of them sat and talked as the afternoon wore on. Sherry was aglow like only a young bride could, and Emmaline couldn't help feeling a little envious. But her days of being a blushing bride enjoying wedded bliss were over and done with, and she pushed those memories aside as she silently wished this sweet girl and her son all the happiness in the world.

Bones remained pensive throughout the day, no doubt thinking about the threat lingering in the air. But Emmaline wasn't worried. She had known Prigg and his goon squad for years. She wasn't afraid of him, or of anyone else Steven tried to scare her with.

The buyers came by shortly after lunch, so Bones and Sherry wandered the garden while she followed the real estate agent around, showing the only group scheduled for today every crack and corner of the place. They balked at the price, she promised she could lower it. They said they would think about it--most said that--and left.

Sighing, Emmaline went back outside to join Bones and Sherry. She sat in the garden with them while they talked about the future; their wedding plans, the sights they planned to see on their honeymoon, things they planned to do when they got back. Bones and Sherry did most of the talking. Emmaline listened wistfully.

When the sun began to set, the two of them got up reluctantly to go. "If you ever need anything," said Bones as he gave her a long hug, "don't hesitate to call me, day or night."

"I won't. I love you."

"Love you too, Mom," he murmured, before finally letting go.

Emmaline watched the two of them drive away before heading back inside. She closed the door and absently straightened the mirror above the table--and let out a shriek of surprise.

Reflected in the glass, Malone smiled wryly at her. "Boo."

Hand on her pounding heart, Emmaline spun around. "I thought you left hours ago," she faltered.

Hands in his pockets, Malone shrugged. "Bones wants me to stay."

Emmaline had assumed her son only wanted him to check on her from time to time, not...

"He insisted there's plenty of room," he went on as she felt more and more flustered.

He didn't sound overly upset, but Emmaline knew he must feel put upon. "You don't have to bother," she said hastily. "I mean, you can stop by from time to time if you want, but you don't have to spend the night."

Malone's face was like it usually was--deadpan--but Emmaline would swear she saw a creasing around his white eyes, suggesting amusement. "And risk the wrath of my team captain?"

Emmaline felt herself start to redden, and for a multitude of reasons. Why, oh, why had her son inherited her stubborn streak?

"I won't be in the way," he promised, after the awkward moment had mounted.

"It's not that," she said quickly. "I just don't want to impose."

Malone thought about it for a moment. "How about this, then; I stay until he's married, after which he'll be too busy being a newlywed to notice that I'm not here anymore."

Bones had scheduled two weeks honeymooning in the Mediterranean with Sherry, which would no doubt do them both some good. She wouldn't mind taking a vacation to get away from all this herself. "All right," she agreed.

The wedding was less than two weeks away, after all. She could handle having Malicious Malone under her roof until then. At least, she hoped she could.

"Here," she said, leading the way upstairs. Knowing he would probably like his space, she showed him the largest guest room available, which was down the hall from her own. "The nearest bathroom is over there," she instructed, pointing.

"It's a little normal for my tastes, but it'll do."

Emmaline just smiled. That was Malone-speak for 'I like it, thanks.'

Unlike the room she had adopted as her own, this one had a much more masculine feel to it. The paneled walls were dark, the furniture pieces were black lacquer, and the large double bed was made of cherry wood and had a burgundy comforter.

"There isn't a phone, but I could bring an extension in if you like," she offered.

"I have a cell," he responded shortly. "Not that I'm expecting any calls."

Emmaline flushed; she'd forgotten.

"I feel kind of bad about that," she murmured, leaning against the open door. "This business with Steven isn't fun, but I'm so happy to have Bones back I don't even care."

It made her feel guilty, having such a wonderful relationship with her children while Malone was fighting with his daughter, his only family. Not that this alone would bother her so much, but the fact that it was _her_ son that had Thrasher in such a tizzy did.

Knowing what she was thinking, Malone said, "Don't feel bad about being happy, Em. You've been miserable for too long as it is."

Emmaline could say the same thing about him. She watched for a moment as he sat on the bed and pulled his hat off, then took a step back out into the hall. "Goodnight, Mal," she said softly, closing the door.

As she started for her own room, she heard him call after her, so quietly she barely heard, "Pleasant dreams, Em."

* * *

"Okay, I give up. What the hell are you _doing_ in there?"

"I'm trying to pee," Derikka said through the closed bathroom door.

"Yeah, well, you've been peeing for the last half hour."

And that was no exaggeration. After finishing her last set, Derikka came back to the hotel and headed straight into the bathroom, and Razor listened, with utter confusion, as he heard trickles between long pauses--for the next thirty minutes. He had no idea her bladder could even hold that much.

A moment later the toilet flushed, followed by the sink running. Razor pretended to be absorbed in the magazine he was reading as she came out of the bathroom, but he knew that Derikka was going to explain what she'd been doing. He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"It's the easiest way I know to do kegels," she said as she opened the mini-fridge.

Razor was so surprised he started to laugh. "Dare, those are for middle-aged women who've been stretched out by one too many kids."

"No, they're for anyone who wants to strengthen their inner muscles," Derikka corrected.

Suddenly Razor understood what was going on, and he set his magazine down with a sigh. "This is about us having sex, isn't it."

"I'm no quitter. Runs in the family."

"Dare," Razor said wearily, "quitting isn't the issue. You can't squeeze twenty pounds of potatoes into a ten pound sack."

"Not even if the sack stretches?"

"You can't stretch _that_ much. And no, I'm not going to try it and see."

Derikka closed the mini-fridge and looked at him, arms folded. "How many norms did you have sex with before you met me?"

The question took him by surprise. "You mean, full-blown intercourse sex? Not a one. And that's the truth."

And that truth, he realized with a sudden jolt, was what had her upset. She was jealous of the mutants he'd been able to go all the way with.

"Don't be like that," he said gently, firmly as he pulled her into his arms, though she didn't unfold her own. "I love every last thing about you, soft normmie skin included."

"But I'm not good enough in bed," she muttered.

Grunting, Razor lifted her so they were eye-level. "Now that is _not_ true," he chided. "You're fantastic in bed, and you've been doing things to me no one else has bothered to think of, mutant or not. Will you _please_ get it into your pretty little head that the only reason--the _only_ reason--we haven't had bed-cracking intercourse at this point is because I'd kill myself before I'd ever do something to you that I know would hurt you?"

"I know," Derikka admitted, her scowl melting as she put her arms around his neck. "I just hate not being able to do this for you. I want to be with you _so_ badly."

Touched, Razor nuzzled her cheek. "I know, but I think we've proven that we can work around it," he purred.

But Derikka shied away, uninterested in being intimate right now. "But that's just it," she sighed as he set her down again. "You do so much for me, a lot more than I do for you."

A light dawned. "Is _that_ what this is about? You think tucking me into that sweet little body of yours will thrill me like nothing else will?"

Derikka flushed darkly and didn't look at him. "Basically," she mumbled.

"Well, put your mind at ease, then; even when I _could_ go all the way with someone, I didn't get off that way."

Derikka looked at him doubtfully. "You mean, even when you were with a mutant, you never..."

She gestured vaguely. He shook his head. "Nope. Not once."

That was the drawback of making sure a woman was ready for him. He always made sure to rile her up but good before he let her mount him, for safety's sake, so by the time she felt what it was like to have his scaled length inside her, well...things were usually over pretty quickly after that. She would return the favor in other ways after she woke up, but...

Derikka started to look relieved--which made _him_ feel relieved. "So, I wouldn't be able to, then."

"A girl as persistent as _you_ might," he allowed, "if you didn't run the risk of splitting yourself in two first."

Derikka reached out and hugged him tightly. "So you're not disappointed?" she asked quietly.

"No, my little angel," he said, kissing the top of her head. "Being with you has made me happier than I've ever been."

And he was ecstatic that he'd finally convinced her to give this impossible idea up. Although, he thought slyly, if her little exercises did what she claimed, it opened other doors of possibility. His tail twitched just thinking about it.

"There is _one_ thing I'd still like to try," she said slowly, running her hands up and down his back.

"And what's that?" Razor asked suspiciously.

"Nothing major," she said lightly. "Just...touch."

"We touch all the time," said Razor, not understanding.

"I didn't mean with hands."

Puzzled, Razor thought about what else they could caress each other with...and then it hit him.

"That would be okay, I suppose," he said slowly, the very thought warming him to the core.

Derikka grinned slyly as she looked at him. "Should we give it a try now?"

"Yes," he purred, hoisting her in his arms and carrying her, bridal-style, to the bed. "I think we should."


	5. Chapter 5

Emmaline was dreaming about walking down a sun-swept beach with Butch when something roused her from her sleep. She sat up, blinking in the darkness and wondering what had woken her--and then she heard movement in the hall outside her door.

For a second her heart jumped into her throat as she pictured Steven lurking out in the hall--but then she remembered. Her son had talked Malone into staying here for now to make sure she was safe, and Malone, in turn, had talked her into letting him.

Relieved, she lay back down again and listened as heavy footsteps moved down the hall, heading in the direction of the bathroom. A door creaked, followed by a lengthy silence. Then the toilet flushed, and the footsteps, though he was trying to walk quietly, thumped past her room again. Emmaline listened as the thumps moved down the hall and around the corner, then down the stairs. Doors opened and closed. He was roaming the house, apparently. She didn't mind, but she felt bad for him. She had a hard time falling asleep in a strange place too.

Everything grew quiet for a moment, and then, somewhere below her, she heard a loud clacking sound, followed by low rumbling. The sounds were muffled and she could probably fall back to sleep if she tried...but instead, after debating for several minutes, she slipped her robe on and headed down to the rec room.

She pushed opened the old-fashioned door, designed to look like something a hotel might have used in the 1920s, and stepped inside. The large room was lit only by the reddish light that ran along the back wall. Malone stood by the pool table, cue stick in hand, the light illuminating him from behind like a messenger of death.

"Did I wake you? Sorry."

Emmaline shrugged and leaned against the bar, which was complete with a large array of wine and other spirits. "I'm a light sleeper. Don't worry about it."

She watched for a while as Malone circled the table, expertly sinking shots. She had never been much for billiards and the like, though she was fond of cards. Getting all these extravagant tables had been Steven's idea. He was actually a very poor player, but owning classic symbols of masculinity was just one of his many forms of male posturing.

When Malone had cleared the table, Emmaline quietly pulled a cue stick from the nearby rack and said, "Mind if I join you?"

He reset the table wordlessly, then allowed her the break shot. Emmaline knew she wasn't very good. Steven had always expressed annoyance by how long she took lining up her shots. But even as the game wore on and her shots took longer and longer, Malone didn't seem to mind waiting.

She felt a little silly, though, leaning over the table in her nightgown and gauzy robe. As her arms slid from the quarter-length sleeves, her skin looked paler than usual in the reddish light. A copper-headed ghost, she thought wryly as she missed another shot. Sexy.

Malone sunk the nine-ball on the next shot, ending the game. "You always did stink at anything competitive," he noted in wry amusement.

Emmaline snorted and put her cue stick away. "I'm going back to bed. Goodnight, Mal."

Malone chuckled to himself as she left, and she was tempted to go back and drag him to the poker table--but he would probably beat her at that too, so she didn't.

But as she headed back up to her room, she felt a sense of comfort she hadn't felt in a long time. It was comforting to know he was there, just in case. It made her feel safe.

Curling up beneath her blanket again, she closed her eyes and was soon asleep.

* * *

"And no one ever thought to try that with you?" Derikka wondered, sounding surprised.

Razor lay on his back on the bed, staring up at the star-shaped lamp dangling from the ceiling as he waited for the feeling in his limbs to return. He started to laugh, though more out of sheer bliss than mirth. "I told you, Dare. You've done things for me no one else bothered to dream up. _I_ never dreamed that one up."

After their talk the other night, Derikka had taken him to bed, where the two of them started experimenting with different ways of stroking their sexes together. Razor had never thought of it before, but he soon discovered that he could give her an orgasm quicker by stroking her clitoris this way than with his fingers.

All in all, the experience was painfully arousing and erotic. They'd tried it another way the next night, and then tonight, after the two of them were both so aroused they were both trembling and glistening with sweat, Derikka had suggested breathlessly that they continue this with her on all fours.

Razor had been nervous at first--this was the first thing he'd done with her that required him to actually thrust his hips--but Derikka had just smiled. "I know you'd never hurt me," she'd whispered.

Not intentionally, but it was easy to get carried away with something like this. Vowing restraint, he had held her hips as loosely as he could as he stroked his length between her thighs, lavishing rubbing her clitoris. Her skin was hot and slick with lube and her own wetness, and her thighs kept clenching in her excitement. The next thing he knew, he lay panting on the bed after a mind-shattering orgasm.

"I didn't know I could do it that way," he had gasped, laughing.

Derikka was leaning over him now, her eyes trailing up and down his nude form in appreciation. Razor folded him arms beneath his head and stretched his torso for her benefit. "How do you get this off, anyway?" she wondered.

She was referring to the form of protection he was currently wearing. After all the precaution he'd taken with not hurting her, if he sent her to the hospital because he'd been lax with keeping himself covered when they came in as close contact as they had been coming lately, he'd have hunted down KT Slayer and politely asked for a savage beating.

"I'll take care of it later," he said, yawning.

"I thought mutants didn't get sick," she mused, resting her chin on his chest.

"We don't, usually. But we carry things that are benign to us but life-threatening to norms, especially sexually. It kind of sucks, really."

Fortunately, this had forced condom companies to reinforce their products like never before, and the latest mutant-safe line was popular with conscientious norms, too. Nowadays, if something that was guaranteed not to shift or break during sex did exactly that, it was grounds for a lawsuit. Because even if a mutant had no sexual history, it was still possible for him or her to infect their partner with something life-threatening. Like he said, it kind of sucked.

Derikka was absently running her fingers up and down his rib cage, her brow lined in thought. "What about kids?" she wondered.

Razor almost choked on his tongue. "Aren't we a little young to be thinking about that?" he asked weakly.

Derikka noticed his expression and giggled. "Not really. My mom was younger than I am when she had me and Bones. But no, I didn't mean _now_. I meant someday."

"Doesn't matter either way," Razor sighed. "Even if we could have regular sex, I can't get you pregnant."

"I'd heard that," said Derikka, brow furrowing again. "Is it really impossible?"

"So it would seem. There are mutants out there who are only a little more mutant than Cecilia, and they have no trouble at all having sex, but they've still never had children. Not with a norm."

Derikka pursed her lips for a moment. "Well, my biological clock is bound to go off someday," she sighed, getting up. "But we'll worry about it when the time comes."

"Thank goodness," said Razor, relieved.

She playfully slapped his hip, since his rear was under him and out of reach. "Now get up already. We have to go."

"Go?" Razor repeated sleepily.

He sat up a second later. She had performed for the final time tonight, so that meant they were finally going home.

After bolting for the bathroom and washing up in record time, Razor headed out of the hotel to the parking lot. Derikka was helping her band finish packing up. They were going to ride on ahead in the tour bus while Derikka rode with him in his car.

"Good job, guys," said Derikka, high-fiving each of them in turn.

"Keep out of trouble, squirt," her drummer teased.

Derikka waved, then got into Razor's sleek black car; he went around to the driver's side, started the engine and pulled away. As he drove to the freeway, Derikka patted her jacket pockets.

"I forgot to call my mom yesterday," she commented, sounding sheepish.

"I'm sure she's fine," Razor said mildly. "She has Bones to look after her."

Derikka laughed a little. "My mom doesn't need looking after, Raze. She's a force of nature sometimes."

She found her cell phone and started dialing. After a brief conversation, she hung up again. "She sounds happy," she reported with a yawn. "It was kind of weird, though. She kept talking to someone in the background, but it didn't sound like Bones."

"And it's a little late to be showing the house," Razor mused.

"Probably just Cecilia with her latest boy-toy," Derikka said with another yawn.

She stretched her arms above her head, then curled up in her seat and fell asleep. Which was just fine with Razor. It would make arriving at their destination even more of a surprise.

After several hours on the road, he finally pulled into the small parking lot of the cozy restaurant he had chosen. When he turned the engine off, Derikka stirred, then sat up and stretched. "What are we doing back here?" she wondered, after she'd blinked around in surprise.

"Just thought we'd grab some dinner before we find somewhere to stop for the night," he said casually.

"Good idea. I need to pee."

"Just don't take a half hour this time," he teased as they headed to the front doors. Derikka flushed and didn't respond.

The inside of the restaurant was dimly lit, giving it an intimate feel. It was old-fashioned in design, the walls made of uneven red brick. Lamps hung over the small booths, though there were also short pillar candles burning on the center of the tables. Old photos taken over the course of the town's history hung on the walls.

He'd had Derikka's love of vintage in mind when he chose the place, and judging by her pleased smile as she scurried off to the bathroom, he'd chosen well. After debating for a moment, he made a stop in the bathroom too, and they rejoined at a booth in the corner.

Like the town itself, the menu was small and simple. Even in places like this, he was still recognized, but tonight, nobody seemed to be looking at him as the two of them dined. People didn't often recognize Derikka when she was out of her stage clothes, but he knew her face so well he could recognize her no matter what she was wearing.

After dinner, he casually suggested they take a walk before heading back onto the road. Derikka agreed with a smile.

"This is nice," she sighed, as the two of them strolled through the empty park. Razor had his arm around her waist; she slid both of hers around him and rested her head on his side.

They walked beneath the old-fashioned lamp posts together, moving closer to the wooden bridge. Moonlight was reflecting off the water, and the white flower petals that covered the ground and the floor of the bridge looked like they were glowing. An otherworldly feel...perfect.

When they reached the bridge, Derikka pulled away to lean over the railing, peering down at the water. Her black hair spilled over her shoulder as she leaned forward, like a shadow in the pale light. Razor reached to run his fingers through it as he breathed a sigh of contentment.

"Okay, fess up," said Derikka, her voice full of mirth. "This is all just an elaborate setup to seduce me, isn't it."

Razor laughed and continued to run his fingers through her hair. "Something like that."

Not sure where to begin, he took a breath. "Derikka, you've come to mean more to me than anyone else I've ever known," he said softly. "I can't imagine my life without you."

A breeze suddenly picked up, sending the flower petals ghosting across the ground and into the water. Hair coiling around her face, Derikka turned and put her arms around him, burying her face in his middle. He held her tightly. "I can't imagine my life without you, either," she murmured, voice muffled.

"You're everything to me," he went on, his eyes on the moonlit water. "I'll do anything to make you happy."

It was all so perfect. The moonlight, the pond, the flowers, the gentle breeze whisking their soft fragrance through the air. Heart thumping but encouraged, Razor opened his mouth to continue.

"Marry me."

Perfect. Except...

Except he hadn't said that.

Startled, he looked down. Derikka lifted her head and looked at him, her green eyes bright with emotion. "Please. I'll never love anyone but you, and nothing would make me happier than making you mine forever."

For a moment Razor just stared, feeling a little too stunned to speak. And, he thought wryly, there was really only one thing to do when you tried to propose but your girlfriend beat you to it: joke about it.

"I was going to give you this," he sighed, pulling the amethyst ring out of his pocket. "But I guess you should put it on me instead."

Derikka surveyed the ring with a sniff. "It wouldn't fit, you big goon. Here."

She pulled something out of her own pocket and held it out to him. A gold band, with oval-shaped etchings encircling it, tiny diamonds nestled in each silver shape. It was the slickest ring he'd ever seen, something he could definitely picture wearing for the rest of his life.

"Better make it official," he said, with a sly grin.

Derikka took his hand and slid it on for him, then displayed her own hand expectantly. With all the solemnity he could muster, Razor slid the amethyst ring onto her finger--and then, grabbing her by the waist, he hoisted her up onto the railing.

The two of them celebrated the occasion with caressing hands and lip-bruising kisses, with only the moon around to be their chaperon as it journeyed slowly across the sky above them.


	6. Chapter 6

"I raise a thousand."

"I'll see that, and raise you another thousand."

Eyes narrowed, Emmaline surveyed Malone over the top of her cards. He was bluffing. He _had_ to be bluffing.

"I'll see that," she said confidently, shoving her remaining chips into the pile. "Full House."

"Straight Flush," said Malone, almost bland as he laid down his cards. To Emmaline, that was almost worse than acting smug. He behaved like winning was such a sure thing when playing against her, there was no point in getting excited about it.

That was what it was starting to feel like, at least.

"I give up," she groaned, shoving her chair back and standing. "Want some coffee? I've had it brewing since yesterday."

Malone hid his smile beneath his hat as he gathered the cards up, though not well enough that she didn't notice it. The phone suddenly rang; she went out to the little nook that was down the hall from the rec room to answer it.

"Good news," said her real estate agent after she had said hello. "That last couple I showed the place to changed their minds. They said they'll take it."

Emmaline was so relieved she sank into the chair by the phone. "That's wonderful," she said, as evenly as she could. "How soon before all the papers are drawn up?"

"Everything should be finalized in a week or so. They said they'll be ready to move in at the end of the month. Are you sure you really want to include all the furniture, too?"

Some of it was hers, but she had already taken inventory of the things she didn't want to part with. Aside from her clothes, she was taking her china, potted plants, and all her photo albums. Most of the furniture had been picked out by Steven. If he wanted it back, he could bargain with the house's new owners. "I'm sure," said Emmaline, with decisiveness.

"I'll get everything started, then."

They spoke a moment more, then Emmaline hung up and hid her face in her hands for a moment. Getting out of here would be such a relief. It was like taking a giant step away from Steven.

After composing herself, she stood and went to the kitchen. She poured herself a small cup of tea, then poured the day-old coffee (the fumes alone made her cough) for Malone and returned to the rec room.

Malone was still sitting at the poker table, quietly going through those fancy, professional card moves they showed in movies. The kind of tricks Emmaline couldn't attempt without having to play fifty-two pick up before she was done. As she set the steaming mug in front of him, she said, "The house is as good as sold."

"When?" Malone asked.

Emmaline calculated for a moment. "Not until after Bones is married. Perfect timing," she added wryly.

"Have you picked out a place to move to yet?"

"No, but I'll start looking."

She knew just the kind of place she wanted, though. Small, quiet, out of the way. Somewhere she would be left alone, with no trace of the life she was currently living.

The phone rang again. Thinking it might be the real estate agent calling back, Emmaline answered the extension on the nearby bar counter. It was designed to look and function like an old candlestick phone, with a circular pad of buttons in place of the rotary dial.

When she picked up, instead of the agent with a detail she forgot to mention, it was Bones on the line.

"Derikka just came back," he reported, after they'd exchanged greetings. "She's here with me and Sherry."

"Oh?"

That was odd. Usually when Derikka came back from touring, she couldn't wait to get home to take a long hot soak in her private bathtub.

"She says she has news, but she wants to tell us all over dinner, and she wants you to be here, too," he went on.

Emmaline felt her heart quicken. "Is Razor with her?"

"Uh-huh."

She was pretty sure she could guess the news, then. After promising she'd be there as soon as she could, she hung up. Tears started threatening to fill her eyes, and she leaned her hands on the bar as a tremor ran through her.

A chair scraped behind her. "Hey." A warm hand, heavy but gentle, rested on her shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

Emmaline shook her head and sniffled. "Just being a mom," she said, laughing nervously. "My little girl is getting married, so that means I have to cry like a ninny."

As she spoke, she tried to wipe her eyes, but more tears formed and fell. "I should have seen this coming, though," she rambled on. "I mean, well--you've seen the two of them together."

Not that Malone cared, she was sure. Sniffling again, she closed her eyes. The hand on her shoulder turned her slowly. Another rested softly on her cheek. "I wouldn't worry, Em. Two years ago I might have, but the kid has grown up a lot since he joined the League. He'll take good care of her."

Emmaline opened her eyes slowly, though lifting them caused more tears to spill free. "I know," she whispered. "I'm still going to miss her."

Ever since that day, that fateful, selfish day twenty-two years ago, she and Derikka had been a team, a twosome. When Razor came into her life that had changed, and that change was about to become permanent. Which was good, and natural, and right...but it still hurt.

Emmaline knew she had no right to complain. She had hurt Derikka first by marrying Steven. Now she had a chance to set things right by hurting Steven in court, and Derikka was doing the right thing to begin with by marrying for the right reason. For love.

Malone's expression looked like something that could almost be called soft as he wiped her tears away. "Go on," he said quietly. "I'll still be here when you get back."

"You can go out when I'm not here, you know," she faltered.

Claiming he didn't want to scare them away, Malone went out whenever potential buyers stopped by, but he stuck around when she had to leave--just in case. Knowing she would go stir-crazy if she were in his position, she didn't want him to feel obligated to stick around any more than he had to now that her house was off the market.

Instead of answering, he sat down, hands in his pockets and head hung low. She could tell that he didn't want to be bothered, so she left quietly. As she got in her car and started driving over to Sherry's, she started thinking that she really needed to do something to say thank you for all the trouble he was going through for her.

She just had no idea what.

* * *

Bones had only just arrived at Sherry's when Razor's black car pulled up outside, followed by Derikka popping out and tackling him. Well, tackling him as best as a puny thing like her could.

"Hey, bone bag," she'd greeted cheerfully as she clung to him.

"Hey, twerp," he'd returned.

She had been aglow with happiness, but instead of letting him in on the secret, she handed him her cell phone and told him to invite Mom over for dinner, then hurried off to help Sherry in the kitchen.

The two of them were about as different as two people could be. Sherry was quieter when she wasn't on the job, her motions soft as she moved around. Derikka, on the other hand, darted around like she couldn't stand holding still, and she always seemed to have a sarcastic remark on the tip of her tongue. They got along, though, so Bones left them alone as he and Razor headed out to the porch to wait for Mom.

"What's it like dating a bundle of energy?" Bones wondered.

Razor snickered. "You even have to ask, bro? That's not a fraction of the energy she unleashes when we're in bed."

Bones cringed and put a hand to his forehead. "Too much information, Raze. This is my twin sister we're talking about."

Razor grinned broadly. "Sorry. _Bro_."

He snickered again. Whatever was on his mind, he wasn't sharing, so Bones ignored him. His mother pulled up a few minutes later, and he hurried down the walk to greet her. Derikka dashed outside a moment later, clearly bubbling with excitement about something as she gave Mom a long hug.

"Dinner's almost ready," Sherry called from inside.

Derikka recruited Razor to set the table and shoved him inside. As they followed, Bones noted that Mom looked a little sad.

"Something wrong?" he asked as he helped Sherry carry the dishes to the table.

"No," Mom sighed. "Just feeling my age."

"You're not old," said Razor, sounding shocked. "You're a middle-aged hottie."

Bones wasn't sure how to react to his best friend calling his mom a 'hottie', but his mother smirked. "Okay, wise guy, what to you want me to do?"

Bones, who was watching them as he finished setting the table, raised his hairless brows in dry surprise as the lizoid put his arms around her. "Well," Razor said slowly, "giving me permission to marry your daughter would be nice."

Bones stood straighter. Emmaline simply smiled. "Like I can say no. Nothing would make my daughter happier, so I give that permission freely and with joy."

Razor gave a sigh of happiness and hugged her tightly for a moment. Sherry hugged Derikka with a smile. "Have you picked a date yet?" she wondered. "We could have a double wedding."

"We could?" Bones asked dryly.

As selfish as it might sound, he wasn't interested in sharing his special day with Sherry with anyone, even his twin sister.

"That's okay," said Derikka as they parted. "We only got engaged last night, so we haven't really planned anything yet."

"What are you hugging _me_ for?" Bones wondered as Razor suddenly turned to embrace him. "She's not _my_ daughter."

"Because you're my best bud in the world, and pretty soon we're going to be related, that's what."

Bones let the smile he'd been suppressing break free. "I guess that would be kind of cool," he allowed.

"Big jerk," muttered Derikka. "Commere."

Razor released him and Derikka all but seized him, squeezing him so tight he heard a bone pop. "Love you, big brother," she murmured.

"I thought _you_ were the older one," Bones reminded her wryly.

"So? You're still bigger than me."

"Would you stop hugging me so tight? You're going to squeeze tears out."

Laughing, Derikka hugged him even tighter and stretched to kiss his cheek. He kissed the top of her head in return and held her a moment more, then finally let go. As Razor put his arm around her and led her to the table, he felt a little funny inside. They hadn't known they were twins until a few months ago, but he still loved her desperately and would do anything to protect her.

He would sleep easy at night, though, knowing that Razor would take care of her just as carefully. He had to--otherwise his future brother was going to snap him in half.

They all sat down at the table together, and Mom, as she laid a napkin on her lap, said, "It's no where near as interesting, but I have news of my own. The house sold today."

Derikka perked up instantly. "Seriously?" She turned to Razor, eyes loving. "Guess that means I'll be moving in now."

Bones snorted. "Now? If you start packing tonight, maybe you'll be able to finish in about, oh, six months."

"Oh, stop being a weenie," Derikka muttered, chucking a dinner roll at him. "You've seen my room."

"Yup. Full of crap."

"Is not. Less is more, I say."

"And your less is more than most, I say."

"Will you two _stop_?" cried Razor, exasperated.

Mom was laughing. "I don't mind. They're cute."

And they didn't mean a word of it, of course. Bones knew that if Derikka had to choose, she would leave everything she owned behind, except maybe Libby. But that didn't mean teasing her still wasn't fun. The hard part was not laughing as he did it.

"Speaking of moving," said Sherry, interrupting their banter, "I've been looking at a few places myself."

Bones turned to her in surprise. "Really? What's wrong with this place?"

This was the first he'd heard her mention wanting to move. He had assumed he would move in here with her once they were married.

"Nothing," she said lightly. "It's just kind of small and...not very manly."

Razor snickered. "She has a point."

"I don't mind," said Bones, shooting him a look.

Sherry lightly kicked him under the table. "Have you picked out a place yet, Em?" she asked.

Bones started to open his mouth--then quickly shut it as he caught on.

His mother shook her head and took a sip of her tea. "Not yet. I'm going to start looking, though. I want something nice and small. The exact opposite of what I have now, basically."

"This place is nice," Derikka said slyly.

Mom gave her a look--then set her teacup down in surprise. "Are you trying to give me your house?" she asked Sherry suspiciously.

"Not if you don't want it," Sherry said quickly. "I just figured with you being in the market and all..."

And looking at her sitting here at the table, in the cozy little dining room, Bones could easily picture his mother fitting in perfectly. It suited her. As she looked around, he could tell she agreed. "I'll have my agent call your agent," she said, with satisfaction.

"Good," said Sherry, looking happy and relieved.

After dinner, Derikka wiped her mouth with a napkin and stood. "I'm going to go run home and grab some stuff," she said.

"Don't forget that thing of yours," Mom said crisply.

"He'll be waiting for me later," said Derikka, kissing her with an exasperated look.

"I meant the snake, dear. I'd never call my future son-in-law a 'thing.'"

Razor, who could tell they were both just kidding around, looked amused as he left. He had other things to do, so Derikka left with Mom, heading back to the house they would both soon be vacating.

Bones stayed with Sherry, helping her clean up. Noting how quiet he was, she said with a smile, "Penny for your thoughts?"

"I'm happy," he said simply. "Happier than I've been in a long, long time."

And he hoped against hope that this happiness would last.


	7. Chapter 7

"Do you have something against plain old black, tan, or gray?" Emmaline wondered as she watched Derikka pack her bright purple suitcase.

"Yes. Too boring," Derikka responded crisply.

Sighing in mock exasperation, Emmaline looked around her daughter's bedroom. It wasn't her style, but she had always liked the combination of pink and purple, and the cheerful décor of suns, moons, and stars. It always felt welcoming and happy in here.

"When the time comes," Derikka mused, "I'll probably take the dresser."

She looked around for a moment, then shrugged. "On second thought, I'll just get a new one, something that matches Razor's room. And maybe a big wardrobe."

"Speaking of wardrobes," Emmaline said slyly, "are you sure that will be enough to hold yours?"

Derikka wasn't big on accessories when she wasn't on stage, but she _did_ have a lot of clothes. Derikka pursed her lips in thought. "Bones is moving out soon," she said, brightening. "We can convert his bedroom into a study-slash-storage room."

"Sounds like you have it all planned," noted Emmaline with a sigh.

Derikka paused, hands on the nightshirt she'd been folding. Her eyes studied her quietly for a moment. "Are you sad, Mommy?"

Emmaline let out a laugh--to mask her threatening tears. "Maybe a little," she admitted, sniffling. "But don't worry about me. I know you'll make much better choices than I did."

Derikka put down her packing and hugged her tightly. "You've been the best mom," she whispered. "I would never have made it this far without you."

Choking back a sob, Emmaline pulled away, absently reminding her to take her snake before darting out into the hall. She almost ran into Malone.

"Sorry," she faltered, before turning and hurrying downstairs.

It wasn't until she was in the kitchen did she remember that Derikka didn't know Malone was in the house. Not wanting her to be startled--Malone was a scary guy, after all--she hurried back upstairs.

What she found when she got back to her daughter's room surprised her. Derikka was closing her attention-grabbing suitcase, while Malone was holding the snake terrarium--in one hand, like it didn't weigh a thing.

"Is that all?" he wondered.

"Uh-huh," said Derikka, grabbing her suitcase with one hand and a smaller bag with the other. "I'll come back for my other stuff later. Oh--and that freezer bag. Can't forget your dinner now, can I," she cooed at Libby as she headed out to the hall.

Malone grabbed the insulated bag with his other hand, and Emmaline mutely stepped back to give them room as they passed. She watched over the railing as they went downstairs and outside. A few minutes later Derikka's car drove away.

Emmaline had known that Malone and Derikka knew each other--he was Razor's coach, after all--but she hadn't known they were on such friendly terms. Which she made sure to mention when Malone came back inside.

"I wasn't aware we were, either."

Emmaline had to smile; Derikka was like that. She liked everyone she met unless they gave her a reason not to. In fact, the only two people that Emmaline knew she truly disliked were Steven and Prigg.

"Did she ask why you were here?"

"Nope."

She probably just assumed he was visiting. Emmaline was relieved. As good as his intentions were, she would feel funny explaining to her daughter that there was a man sleeping under her roof right now.

She drummed her fingers on the railing a moment. "Did you eat?" she wondered.

"Yes. That rye bread you keep in the fridge is terrible."

"So order in, then," she said crisply.

"I did."

"Well, take that pie that's in the freezer and warm it in the oven. I didn't have dessert yet."

Malone tilted his hat back and looked up at her. "Warm the oven?" he repeated, sounding doubtful.

Emmaline smirked. "Don't tell me the great and mighty Malicious Malone is worried about a little appliance."

"You're cruel, Em."

Emmaline laughed and turned away from the railing. "I'm going to go change. If you burn the house down while I'm gone, I'll send a letter of apology to the buyers in the morning, though it'll be completely insincere."

* * *

Sometimes, Bones noticed that time passed strangely--or felt like it did, at least. The remainder of that week seemed to drag on and on as they handled last minute wedding details like catering and decorations. Sherry agreed with his decision to keep everything small, but it still took a long time to prepare everything. At the same time, it felt like those days flew by, without enough hours to get everything done. Before he knew it, it was the night before his wedding day.

He knew he needed his sleep, but that night he was wide awake.

He lie quietly in the dark, staring up at the ceiling as Sherry slept soundly beside him, exhausted after he'd tired her out with their version of love making. Though he was tired himself, his mind kept going over everything that needed to be done tomorrow. He wanted everything to be perfect, and that meant getting ready on time, not messing up during the ceremony...and not to mention he was meeting his future mother- and father-in-law for the first time.

Mr. and Mrs. Steele were both in their early fifties, retired, and were systematically exploring every exotic locale that sparked their fancy. The last Sherry heard they were in Egypt, but they promised they would arrive first thing in the morning for the wedding.

Sherry claimed they were both laid-back and easy-going, and that they were guaranteed to love him, but Bones was still nervous. Sherry was their only daughter, after all, though she apparently had an older brother. She had nothing to say about him beyond that, though.

Sherry was acting much more relaxed than him about everything, which wasn't surprising. His family already knew and loved her. She assured him that everything would be fine, but he knew he would feel better when it was all over and they were finally on their honeymoon.

They'd booked a hotel on the coast of Spain, a very exclusive beach club where skulking gossip columnists were forbidden to tread. Despite having been engaged for two months, and having a close relationship from long before that, the rumors about them were still regarded as rumors. Some were even speculating that Thrasher's split from the Monsters was over a lover's spat between the two of them. Bones found their cluelessness annoying, but in the end it worked in his favor. No one seemed to know about the wedding, and the announcement that was going into the paper wasn't going to mention the date, place, or time. By the time the media recovered from shock, they would be on their plane out of the country...hopefully.

He was looking forward to seeing Sherry strut around in a bikini, though he was looking forward to stripping it off her even more. He was already fantasizing about things they could do on the beach, or in the water--though a few days ago, Derikka took it upon herself to educate him about something.

"Don't get too carried away when you're underwater," she had whispered. "She could get an infection."

He had heard that before, but now it was solidified in his mind. No internal fooling around when in the water--check.

While they were gone, Sherry's house would be sold, and by the time they came back, his mother would be living here. He and Sherry had picked out an apartment--just down the hall from the one he used to share with Razor, in fact. It had been Sherry's idea, and he suspected that she knew he would have had a difficult time moving to a place where he couldn't see his twin on an almost daily basis, and be within a short drive of his mother.

She always knew him like that. Better than anyone.

His insides filling with love, he turned and held his slumbering bride-to-be tightly. Sleep or no sleep, he couldn't wait until she was officially his wife.

* * *

Emmaline was dreaming about Steven. He was trying to break into her new house, pounding on the doors and windows and screaming for her to let him in.

"Go away," she screamed back. "I'll never give in to you again! Never!"

She suddenly jerked awake, her silk nightgown damp with sweat. Shivering as the cold air in the room touched her hot skin, she fumbled for her robe and tugged it on. Her legs felt rubbery as she slid out of bed; she clutched the bedpost a moment before stepping for the door.

The house had that stifling feel to it again. She needed to get out, to escape somewhere she could breathe more freely. Her feet bare, she flew down the stairs and to the French doors that led out to the patio.

The stone tiles felt like ice beneath her feet as she stepped outside. Shivering, she took a deep, calming breath. The night air was freezing and she would probably get a chill by the end of this, but right now she didn't care. Out here, away from those walls, the dark emotions left by her dream were already slipping away.

Wrapping her robe tighter around her, she started walking, following the narrow path that led into the garden. The round stones wove in between the circular flowerbeds, bordered by curved bricks. The colorful blossoms were closed for the night, their soft green leaves and stems looking dewy in the light shining from the garden lights that lined the path.

Her garden was the one thing she would miss when she moved. Old Hampton kept things under control, but she had designed and planted it. She had arranged the lamps, the occasional stone bench, the small ponds. Steven, a lover of all things modern and steel, avoided gardens, so this place quickly became her refuge.

And it had become someone else's refuge too, she realized in surprise.

Malone sat in the shadows a few feet away from her, on the rim of one of the ponds. Its tiny fountain's trickling was the only sound as she looked at him. He didn't look at her; his eyes were on something in his hand, the other hanging limply where it rested on his knee. His shoulders were slumped and his head hung low, the shadow cast by his hat hiding his face.

He clearly wanted to be left alone, and yet she found herself crossing the distance and sitting beside him. She wasn't sure why.

She was close enough now to see what he was holding. A small photograph. Smiling at the camera, having actually stood still long enough to be captured, was the four of them. Him and Sarah, her and Butch. They were all so happy in that moment, so young, so alive.

Now half of them was gone, the other half sitting here feeling bereft, maybe even a little lost. Malone abruptly slipped the photo into his pocket, though he didn't move otherwise.

This was the most uncomfortable kind of silence. The kind where you know you shouldn't say anything--and you know that the other person doesn't _want_ you to say anything--but your mouth just won't obey.

Emmaline wet her lips. "Thanks," she faltered. "For everything. You've been great."

Bones would be married soon, and then Malone would be gone. He probably didn't want her thanking him right now--or even at all--but she couldn't help it. He had only been here for a short time, but Emmaline felt that their friendship had grown as a result, and she was grateful. She needed friends right now.

Malone didn't respond, and she didn't expect him to. She knew she should probably leave, but she continued to sit, hands clasped in her lap. The wind kept blowing, piercing through her thin robe and nightgown. She tried hard not to shiver too much. Malone didn't seem to notice the cold at all. Being a mutant had to be nice sometimes.

When the wind and silence finally became unbearable, she stood. "Good night," she murmured.

Again, no response. Emmaline paused, looking at the hunched figure, massive even when he was compact. He looked so lonely, so miserable, her heart ached for him.

Sometimes, looking at him felt like she was looking at a mirror of her own heart. It hurt.

I know better than this, she thought, but she leaned over and pulled his hat off anyway.

She expected him to get mad, but he remained so still and silent, he might as well have been a statue. He kind of looked like one, too, his grayish-white skin looking especially gruesome in the pale light.

He was not a handsome man, by any means. His dead white eyes used to give her the creeps.

But she had come to know things about him even he might not know. That underneath all that gruffness, he had a kind and caring side. He didn't have to stay with her like this. He could have easily said no, but here he was, silently watching over her while her soon-to-be-ex-husband made threats through another person like the coward he was. And he must love Thrasher immensely to be so hurt and betrayed by her leaving his team, though she knew he hoped no one would notice he felt that way.

Kind. Caring. Loving. Passionate. All the things Steven Brooks was not.

Steven was handsome, to be sure, but if this was where marrying a man with looks got you, then she would gladly marry the ugliest troll alive before she would marry another polished lawyer-type.

Not that she held on to any foolish fantasy of ever finding love again. All she wanted now was for this divorce to be over--and to express her thanks to the one sticking by her through all this.

Affection swelling in her heart, she leaned over and pressed her lips to the bald, gray skin of his head. She thought that would get a reaction for sure--a grunt of annoyance, probably--but Malone sat as rigid as ever.

Emmaline replaced his hat and scurried quietly back inside. As she was closing the French doors, she thought she heard a low, rumbling voice carried on the wind say, "Don't ever do that again."


	8. Chapter 8

Bones felt a soft hand running over his forehead. It was very soothing, and he felt so light and content it was almost like he was drifting on a cloud. "Wake up, sleepyhead," a voice purred in his ear.

Bones sat up with a jolt. "Did I fall asleep? Is it time to go? Are we late?"

If he'd slept in on his own wedding day...

Beside him, Sherry started to laugh as she tugged him back down to the pillow. "No, silly. We don't have to be at the church for hours yet."

"Oh."

He relaxed and let her wrap her arms around him, holding him close and tight. Then, she kissed his cheek noisily before letting go and getting up. "I better get dressed," she said, grabbing her nightshirt from the bedpost as she went around the bed. "Razor's coming by to drive me to your mother's in a little while."

The wedding party was small, so all of them were meeting over at Mom's house to help Sherry get ready. Razor was a little annoyed when he found out that Derikka wasn't going to be Maid of Honor, but as much as Sherry liked the younger girl, she knew Elanore better and for a lot longer, so she asked her to be Matron of Honor instead. The wife of their former coach had been tickled pink at the idea.

Derikka was happy to be a regular bridesmaid, even if it meant she wouldn't be paired with Razor for the day, but it also meant that Bones needed a second groomsman. Aside from Razor, his Best Man, he didn't have a whole lot to choose from. The Pukes were out, since anything you wanted to do with them meant taking both or neither of them, and Darkstar flat-out refused before he even asked, expressing a distaste for weddings. That left him with Cannonball, but fortunately, the shy mutant had accepted.

"Did you finish packing?" Bones wondered, though he was pretty sure she had.

"Yesterday," Sherry called from the bathroom. "Don't worry," she added, "I didn't forget a thing."

She had already hinted that she'd packed plenty of skimpy lingerie, which he was anxious to see...not to mention he had a little surprise of his own.

In the meantime, he got out of bed and started getting dressed. While Razor took Sherry to meet the others, he was going on ahead alone--to make sure everything was in order, and also to meet his future in-laws when they arrived.

He didn't have a stomach, but as he pulled his designer tux out of its garment bag...he felt butterflies just the same.

* * *

"So, Raze, what do you think? She cleans up good, huh?"

Razor looked up from the magazine he'd been reading--and felt, with a tiny bit of guilt, a coil of manly appreciation that warmed his face. "It's a good thing Bones doesn't have lungs," he noted softly. "Because I doubt he'd be able to breathe when he sees _that_ walking toward him."

Sherry gave a nervous giggle. "Thanks," she said, smoothing a hand over her snow white skirt.

Her wedding gown was a classic A-line design; sleeveless, off-the-shoulder and with a skirt that hung loosely instead of flaring out like a ballgown. The bodice was snug and flattering to her already slender waist, the shape of the neckline displaying just a hint of cleavage. The flowing skirt was adorned with lace appliqued flowers that were decorated with intricate beadwork; the tiny beads were pale pink, a color that matched the bride's cheeks.

Matching appliques and beadwork ran along the edge of her soft veil, and around her slender throat was a silver choker with pale pink, teardrop-shaped crystals dangling from it. Pink teardrop crystals also hung from her ears.

"He's right, darling," Elanore said, clasping her hands with a dreamy sigh. "You're an absolute vision."

Cecilia glanced up from the curls she was putting in the slender tendrils that hung loose from Emmaline's elegant chignon. "If I were a guy? I'd do her."

Sherry pressed a hand to her pink lips in embarrassment. Derikka rolled her eyes. "Can I have that? Thanks."

Without waiting for permission, she grabbed the curling iron from Cecilia and started putting ringlets in the hair that wasn't tucked up in Sherry's French twist. Razor thought Derikka looked like a knockout, too. Her lavender bridesmaid gown was simple, with spaghetti straps, a sweetheart neckline and glittering rhinestones sewn to the bodice, but it suited her.

"You don't look half-bad either, Emmy," Razor told Emmaline with a grin.

She was nothing short of pulse-pounding, in fact. Her pretty wine-colored gown clung to her every curve, displaying them in a breezy, elegant way. The glossy material swept the floor, the spaghetti straps showing off her long, slender arms. A jeweled bracelet glittered on her wrist as she absently ran her fingers through the curls framing her pretty face.

Her best friend, on the other hand, was dressed to kill. Since white was considered bad taste when you weren't the bride, she had grudgingly foregone her staple color--and put on blood red instead. Her skirt was extremely short and the neckline swooped low. The fabric of her dress whispered as she walked, the softness of it over her skin begging someone to come and touch her curves.

"You look pretty tasty yourself, Kidd," she purred as she reached over to slip a dangling, glittering earring into Emmaline's ear.

"Cee, those are too long," she objected.

Razor squirmed a little. Cecilia's hair was scarlet and lined with pale pink streaks as she watched him, which he had learned in a hurry meant she was hot and bothered and entertaining sexual thoughts. Knowing that those thoughts were clearly about him would have given him a thrill once--but now that he was engaged, and his fiancée was currently in the room with them...it was just embarrassing.

"Oh, they're perfect," Cecilia insisted, a streak of grayish-black splitting into the red.

Sighing, Emmaline let her put the other one in. They were diamond and black onyx, and Razor thought they framed her face nicely.

"I think we're about ready," Derikka commented, making a final adjustment to Sherry's veil.

Judging by her expression, Sherry was more than ready to go, and her face was aglow as she started carefully down the stairs. Derikka followed her closely, keeping her gown's small train in line.

With her less-is-more attitude, Derikka had kept her wedding day appearance subtle. Her long black hair was left loose and styled with waves that turned under at the end, diamond studs glittered in her ears, and her makeup was soft and pink. "I'm ready, too," Razor announced, taking her arm when they reached the bottom of the stairs. "To head straight to the bedroom."

"Me too," said Cecilia as she followed behind them.

"I don't do threesomes. Sorry."

Derikka muttered something he didn't quite catch and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Come on, sweetie," said Emmaline wearily as she escorted Sherry out to the porch. "I have a feeling if we don't take separate cars, we'll never get there."

"You can't go without him," said Elanore firmly as she shoved Razor into motion. "Not when he's got the rings."

Razor patted the pocket that carried them with a grin before darting out to start his car. While the others climbed into the back, he got out and helped Sherry sit up front. She sat like her gown was made of glass and carefully arranged the skirt around her. She glanced at Razor, who couldn't help watching her as he secretly imagined what Derikka would look like in a gown like that, and smiled. "Good thing I didn't go for the extra-long train, huh?"

"I doubt it matters," Razor said as he pulled away. "Without or without the train, you'd still look unreal."

She flushed prettily and placed her hands in her lap. "I want a twenty foot train when we get married," said Derikka from the back seat.

"Seriously?" asked Razor, brief nose wrinkled.

She giggled. "No. I want a dress like Sherry's."

"When I get married, it'll be in a leather mini dress," Cecilia announced.

Emmaline snorted loudly. "Cecilia, my dear, the day you settle down and get married is the day I give Malicious Malone a lap dance."

The rest of the car burst out in shocked laughter, Razor included, though he whimpered at the same time. "I'm going to get in so much trouble next time I see him," he gasped, wiping his eyes. "He hates it when we're not serious and he's going to want to know why I crack up every time he looks at me."

In the side mirror, he saw Emmaline turn pale. "You wouldn't tell him, would you?"

Razor snickered. "No. At least, I don't _think_ I will..."

Emmaline looked horrified. Derikka would probably have come to her rescue by now, but she was still doubled over Elanore's lap, who was laughing equally hard. Cecilia was wiping her eyes as she gasped for breath. "I'd pay to see that, actually," she quipped.

Emmaline turned to look out the window. "We're changing the subject now," she said crisply.

* * *

Bones stood out in front of the church, politely greeting each guest that arrived while the photographer he and Sherry had hired snapped pictures of the outdoor decorations. Nearly everyone was here now, including his bride. He saw Razor's car pull up a few minutes ago, turning into the side parking lot. Not caring a speck for silly superstitions, Bones had been tempted to go up and help Sherry out of the car himself...but he decided not to rob himself of the experience of seeing her for the first time as she walked down the aisle and stayed put.

Darkstar was the last of his teammates to show up, with--for reasons he still didn't quite understand--Luna Maxwell on his arm. After saying a quick hello, the two had gone inside, and with them here, all of his friends and teammates were accounted for.

Despite this, he continued to wait, until he spotted a cab pulling up at the curb. The driver came around, opened the door and held out his hand; the woman sitting inside shooed him away and hopped out nimbly. A tall, slender man came out of the backseat and joined her on the sidewalk. The cab drove away while they gazed up at the massive building in front of them.

"How come we didn't get married in a place like this?" the woman wanted to know.

"Because your mother would have cried until she was dehydrated and shriveled like a raisin if we didn't get married in her front yard, which she spent weeks decorating."

"Oh, yeah."

Bones was glad he was wearing sunglasses, because he couldn't help staring at the pair. Just a little.

The woman was petite, plump, and had an edgy, modern haircut: short in the back and on one side while the other side was cut chin-length, and it swished back and forth when she moved her head. Her hair was a bright red-orange, and her eyeshadow was yellow. She spoke with a thick southern drawl.

Her husband had hair that was mostly gray, though hints of honey-blond still showed through. His accent was much softer, and his brown eyes were warm and kind. He also had a bright smile and perfect white teeth, which he flashed when his eyes suddenly fell on Bones. He nudged his wife. "Hey--you think that's him?"

His wife pursed her lips and narrowed her snapping green eyes. "Has to be. How many other skeletons could be getting married here today?"

Bones opened his mouth to say something, but as the pair swept up to him, he found he couldn't think of a thing to say. Seeing his uncertainty, Mr. Steele took his hand with a smile. "We're kidding, son, we know who you are. Sherry sent us pictures. I'm Alan."

"Dolores," said his wife, taking her future son-in-law's hand as soon as her husband let go. "Not that she really needed to--send pictures, I mean. Did you know that kids chatter on about you all the way out on Irish moors?"

"Ummm..."

He knew it now.

"It's a good thing you're so well known," Mr. Steele went on with a grin. "That means we don't have to ask you a bunch of embarrassing questions. We know you'll take good care of our little princess."

"Maybe his good behavior will rub off on that brother of hers," his wife commented with a sniff.

"Now, now, let's not darken the day talking about that...um..."

"Womanizing, jail-bound twit?" Mrs. Steele supplied, with another sniff.

"And to think Sherry turned into such an angel; and we raised them both just the same. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?"

"It certainly does, hon. It certainly does."

"What did he do?" Bones wondered, when the pair paused long enough for him to speak.

Mrs. Steele rolled her eyes. "What _hasn't_ he done?" she muttered. "But like Alan said, let's not darken the day."

Mr. Steele was scrutinizing him. "Although," he said slowly, "Sherry _is_ our special little princess...which means she needs the perfect prince."

"Oh, I think he qualifies," said Mrs. Steele brightly. She stood on tiptoe to finger a lock of Bones' hair, which he had carefully combed this morning. "Can't you picture it? All this hair combed back, a gold-trimmed coat, a white horse..."

Bones pictured it all right--and started snickering as a result. Mr. Steele broke out in a grin. "Now _that's_ what I like to see," he declared. "A sense of humor."

Smiling, Mrs. Steele gave him a quick hug. "It'll be fun to have him in the family, don't you think? Oh, speaking of our little princess--where is she, anyway?"

"Over in the hall," Bones instructed.

As he watched them hurry away, he noted that the butterflies had disappeared at some point.

Outside the hall, the pair almost bumped into his mother on her way out. The three talked for a moment, and then his mother hurried over and hugged him tightly. Bones was surprised to see that she looked a little pale, and she trembled slightly as she held him. "What's wrong?" he asked in concern.

"Nothing," she whispered. "Just being a mom."

Bones frowned and held her close. He didn't press, but he could tell it was more than that.

When she finally let go, she turned away to discreetly wipe her eyes, though not discreetly enough that he didn't notice. "It's almost time," she faltered. "You better get inside."

"What about you?" he asked softly.

She smiled weakly. "Go on. I'll be along in a minute."

* * *

As Emmaline watched her son disappear into the church, it was all she could do to keep from crumpling to her knees and weeping. She rubbed her hands together absently as she looked down at her shoes, trying to keep her eyes away from the scenery as she struggled to get her emotions under control. She was still trembling a little when she heard the tell-tale clack of Cecilia's spiked heels approaching.

She expected Cecilia to comment on the obvious--she was there that day, so there was no way she had forgotten--but when she stayed quiet, Emmaline glanced at her--and let out a snort despite herself. "Cee, do you really think that's appropriate today?"

"What do you mean?" wondered Cecilia, her nose firmly tucked in her worn copy of _Ōdishon_.

Emmaline let out a tired sigh. "Never mind..."

She turned and faced the church steps, though she hadn't worked up the courage to mount them yet. Cecilia came to stand at her side and glanced at her. "You ought to read this one," she suggested. "Trust me, it'll relieve some of the tension."

"You think a bloody horror story will relieve my tension and you've known me _how_ long?"

Cecilia grinned slyly. "You can pretend it's about Steve," she suggested.

"Thanks, but I only want to divorce him, not disembowel him."

"Hey, Aoyama doesn't get disemboweled, he gets--"

Emmaline held up her hand. "No details, please. We're standing outside a church, remember?"

Cecilia's smile faded as she followed her gaze, looking up at the old, regal structure. Though it had been altered numerous times, it still had most of its original detail. The brick walls were a pearl gray, the stained-glass windows gorgeous with their elaborate designs and bright colors.

Emmaline thought it was the most beautiful church in town--which was why she had chosen it when she married Bones' father.

Cecilia suddenly laid a hand on her arm. Her palm felt hot against Emmaline's skin, which had gone cold. "He doesn't know, does he," she said softly.

Emmaline shook her head. No one knew; just her and Cecilia. And Malone, of course.

Emmaline felt something tighten inside her as she thought about her husband's best friend. When she woke up this morning, he had already left, though she knew it wasn't to make room for the bridesmaids.

She had crossed over a line--stepped into territory where she wasn't wanted. She couldn't really blame him for being mad at her. When she was in a truly bad mood, the last thing she wanted was hugs and kisses--especially from someone they were unwelcome from. She hoped she could smooth things over between them soon.

Cecilia suddenly nudged her, and she forced her leaden feet into motion. It was hard--the last time she was on these steps, she was holding the hand of her new husband--and her legs shook as she stepped inside. The air was cooler in the entryway; she paused to take a shaky breath.

Derikka was standing by the doors that led into the main part of the church. Not knowing how shaken her mother was, she took her hand and tugged her inside with a smile. "Come on, I'll introduce you to everybody."

Except for Elanore--whom she had only just met this morning--Emmaline didn't know any of the other members of her son's team, though she had seen them all once or twice. Derikka introduced her to each one in turn, starting with Elanore's pint-sized husband. When she reached the one she called Cannonball, he blushed hard and refused to look at Cecilia.

With the introductions done, Derikka scurried back to the bride. Emmaline took a seat next to the two trolls, while Cecilia had up and vanished...typical.

Sitting across the aisle from her was Luna Maxwell, whom she had met once before while Derikka was promoting the film she had a tiny part in. The one called Darkstar sat next to her, though they were only together in body; he looked bored and kept fidgeting, and Luna was on her cell phone.

"I miss you too," she sighed. "I wish you could be here."

"Oh, get a room," Darkstar muttered.

"With what?" Luna asked, irritated. "My phone?"

"It vibrates, doesn't it?"

The rest of his team snickered. Emmaline pretended to powder her nose.

Luna got up with a huff. "Where's Razor? I owe him a kick in the pants for starting this."

"He's with the groom," Darkstar said smugly.

"Fine. _I'm_ going to the bathroom."

She stalked off. Cecilia materialized and swooped into her place. "Hi," she greeted, crossing her legs like a porn star and holding out her hand. "We haven't met. Cecilia Wintercrest. You busy later? I think my schedule has an opening I'd like to fit you into."

Emmaline hid her face in her hand, torn between running out and hiding under the pew. "I need a drink," she muttered.

* * *

Bones absently straightened his vest--and recoiled in surprise as Razor suddenly pulled out a party horn and blew into it loudly. "Okay, I give up, what was _that_ for?"

"Last second bachelor party," Razor replied with a grin.

"This qualifies as a party?" Bones asked dryly as Razor blew the horn again, making the metallic streamers on the end dance.

"Well, what else am I supposed to do? Offer you a stiff drink? Or a cigar? Or a stripper?"

"Uh, no, no, and no. And I don't have lungs, so I can't join you in your little fun, either."

Razor snickered and put the horn down. "Okay, no party. Here: I had these made just for you."

As he spoke, he pulled a hinged box out of his pocket and passed it to him. Bones opened it curiously--and started laughing. "You're crazy, you know that?"

Nestled inside the box was two solid gold cufflinks--shaped like tiny replicas of the Mutant Cup.

"I know. But that's what makes me so much fun to have as a friend."

Bones smirked. "You got that right."

In fact, without Razor, his life would be pretty boring most of the time. "But never mind me," he said as Bones slipped the cufflinks on. "You ready to rock this thing?"

"Not _quite_ the term I'd use," Bones said wryly, "but yes. I'm ready."

He was ready for his wedding, his new marriage, and everything that followed.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When getting the wedding chapter ready to post, I realized how, well, short and completely uninteresting it was. It was actually completely over midway through chapter eight--WAY too quick, so I fleshed out the details and added more character interaction, which ended up making the story as a whole a little longer...which is just fine with me, because it always bugged me that book 2 was a whole seven chapters shorter than book 1.

Emmaline sat quietly while she waited for the ceremony to begin, her eyes wandering discreetly. Everything looked just as she remembered it, from the intricate stained-glass windows to the softly-lit alcoves housing beautiful old statues. The ceiling above the altar was high and domed, like a cathedral, and sunlight was pouring through the round stained-glass window at the back.

Bones was waiting at the altar with the rest of the wedding party, talking quietly with the priest, who was obviously someone he was on friendly terms with. Even though she was only sitting a few feet away, with his form awash with the colors from the stained-glass like that, all but obscuring his skeletal features...

If it wasn't for the sunglasses, he would look like an exact replica of his father twenty-two years ago.

As she choked back the sob that rose up, Emmaline was glad she had the foresight to bring a handkerchief. She fumbled for her evening bag and tugged it out just as the bride appeared; everyone rose, and she quickly joined them. Bones stood up straighter.

Through a haze of tears, Emmaline watched the woman moments away from becoming her daughter-in-law drift down the aisle, her step so soft and light her feet barely seemed to touch the ground. Looking at the expression of sheer love and happiness on her son's face as he accepted her hand after Sherry's father softly passed it to him, Emmaline felt a mixture of pain and joy.

Her own memories aside, she was glad her son had found happiness--but at the same time, his happiness was bittersweet for her. She had only just gotten him back, so watching him today, starting this brand new life...it almost felt like losing him again.

She hoped she was focusing on the joy enough for people not to wonder about the tears streaming down her face as she sat down again, but when she saw the worried glance Derikka sent her way, she rather doubted it.

As her son and his beautiful bride quietly exchanged their vows, she tried to hold back her sobs, but she eventually gave up and wept openly. She looked away--hopefully taking her eyes off the spot she spoke her own vows, the very spot her son was standing now, would help her compose herself--and glanced at the back of the church. She noticed for the first time that Malone was sitting alone in the last pew.

He was watching the ceremony quietly, hat pushed back a bit, but when he noticed her looking at him he ducked his head. Emmaline swallowed and faced forward again.

The vows finished, Razor solemnly passed the rings to the bride and groom. Taking her hand gently, Bones carefully slid the wedding band on Sherry's finger, linking it with the engagement ring. Emmaline had worried that the sight of that ring on another woman, worn on her own finger for such a short time, would make her feel a little strange, but it didn't. It looked as natural on Sherry as if it had been made for her specifically, and her eyes and smile were radiant as she lifted her groom's wedding ring.

Since Bones couldn't wear a ring on his hand on account of his gloved finger, Sherry had fastened it to a chain, which she lovingly slipped over his head. She then pressed a tender kiss to his forehead--which prompted him to pull her close and claim her lips.

"I, uh, now pronounce you man and wife," said the priest, amused. "You may kiss the bride...some more."

Everyone laughed and started to clap, and Emmaline dabbed at her eyes and joined in. Then the troll brothers sitting next to her got a little too excited, and when they started jumping up and down, making the pew creak dangerously, she decided now was a good time to get up.

Everyone moved outside, where rounds of hugs and congratulations were exchanged. And then her son and his ethereal bride posed for pictures--and Emmaline felt her heart start to ache all over again. They were posing in the exact same places she and Butch did.

Someday she would tell Bones. Someday, when her tears dried and the pain lessened.

"It's awfully quiet, isn't it," noted Sherry's father. "You'd think with such a famous athlete getting married, the press would be swarming."

"That's the way Bones wanted it," said Razor, who was talking to Malone. Emmaline glanced at him discreetly; he noticed and turned away.

"He's kept the relationship under wraps until now," Razor explained. "He knew that Sherry would be harassed for interviews once the truth got out, so he kept quiet about it until today."

That wasn't the only thing her son had kept quiet about. He had also kept the news of him finding his mother and the twin sister he never knew he had away from everyone except the members of his team. So far, the press only knew that Derikka was dating his best friend, which for them was explanation enough why she and Bones were seen together so often.

But it wasn't Derikka, who was exposed to the media via her profession anyway, that Bones was trying to protect. Knowing that she was under enough stress over her looming divorce, he was withholding the information about her, his mother, until a better time arose.

Her heart swelling with love, Emmaline blotted her eyes with her saturated handkerchief. Mr. Steele was eyeing Bones with a look of approval. "That's very responsible, isn't it, luv?"

"And ironic," agreed Mrs. Steele with a smirk. "Protecting our little star reporter from reporters."

The others chuckled, and Emmaline managed a small laugh of her own. Sherry kept her camera with her almost at all times and did her share of digging for a story, but she wasn't like gossip columnists, who followed and harassed their quarry even when they weren't at work. Despite Bones' efforts, word of the wedding had gotten out, but the curious onlookers who started milling around, quietly snapping photos, only looked like devoted fans.

After the official photographer had finished, the newlyweds swept into one of the nearby vehicles, and Emmaline rode in Razor's car again as they drove to the reception hall. Derikka chatted in the backseat with Elanore; Emmaline had lost track of Cecilia again.

When they arrived at the reception hall--a classy place with polished hardwood floors, long tables covered in soft white cloth, and glittering light fixtures--her willowy friend, hair colored scarlet, met her at the door.

"You don't mind if I leave without you, do you?" she wondered as she tugged Emmaline inside.

Emmaline wearily followed her gaze to the bar, where Darkstar was chatting with Razor and sipping a drink. "You do know having sex with someone like that is dangerous to your health, don't you?"

Cecilia snorted. "Not to me, Min. I may be a normal mutant, but I'm still a mutant. I'm sturdy. Besides, I've had extra practice recently."

She winked at Cannonball, who blushed again and hurried past them. "You should be gentler with hearts," said Emmaline with a frown.

"Bah. Men don't have hearts. You know that."

"That one obviously does."

"He's only a boy. Doesn't count."

"I give up..."

When they reached the bar, Emmaline ordered the strongest drink she thought she could handle, which she sipped while Cecilia dragged Darkstar away. Razor watched them in amusement, then glanced at her with a look of concern. "Are you going to be all right, Emmy?"

She nodded. "I'm fine. Just tired."

And alone, she realized. Her daughter had officially moved out, and with Bones leaving for his honeymoon tonight, Malone wouldn't be coming back.

"I'm fine," she repeated. "Just...reliving some old memories I don't really care to."

Razor looked sympathetic, though she doubted he really understood. Not until you lost someone you loved more deeply than you thought possible could you understand. And she prayed that that never happened. Not to him, or to her son.

Razor eventually wandered away, looking for Derikka, but Emmaline stayed by the bar. She wasn't in the mood to mingle, though she knew she had to watch how much she drank. Despite her height and weight, she had a low tolerance for alcohol. Steven, she remembered bitterly, had always made fun of her because of it.

Vowing that the glass the bartender just poured her was the last, she drifted away from the bar and moved to the middle of the room. Malone, she noticed, was sitting off to the side by himself, sipping something that would probably strip the finish off the floor if he spilled it.

On impulse she went over, though she kept the length of the table between them. "Thank you for coming," she said softly.

He didn't have to do that, either. As Best Man on the day of her wedding, he was no doubt reliving old memories, too. She wasn't really sure; he lowered his head, the brim of his hat hiding his face, and continued to sip.

Emmaline waited several minutes, but he acted like he hadn't heard, and that she wasn't glaring at him right now. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was being ignored. She brought her glass to her lips--but there was only a drop left. Last one, she told herself again as she headed back to the bar.

When she turned away again, fresh drink in hand, she headed over to the main table, where Bones and Sherry sat. "You look beautiful, Mom," said Bones as he got up to hug her.

"Thanks," she smiled. "I hope I didn't embarrass you too much with all the waterworks."

He kissed her cheek. "Not a bit."

His touch was tender as he brushed a curl from her eyes. "I'm not really going away," he said quietly. "Now that I've found you, nothing can take me away from you."

Emmaline nodded and looked away as her eyes threatened to moisten again. She should have known he would see through at least one of the reasons for her tears. He was so like his father it hurt.

But she knew she wasn't losing him. She hadn't lost a thing. With a new daughter and another son in the future, she had gained more than she had ever had. She needed to put her memories aside for now and smile. Today was a wonderful, wonderful day--for all of them.

Suddenly, Bones put a hand on her arm, his body tense and alert. Emmaline looked at him in alarm. "What's wrong?"

His gaze was fixed on something behind her. Turning, she saw that Thrasher Malone had joined the party. She was dressed in a pretty pink gown, and she stood in the doorway clinging to the arm of the mutant standing beside her. Emmaline knew she had never seen him before, because she would definitely remember him if she had.

There weren't many mutants out there who looked so much like a dog.

* * *

Bones felt like he'd just been punched. Behind him, there was a sound of glass breaking; he looked and saw that Razor had dropped his drink. Bones quickly bolted forward and grabbed his friend. Razor looked ready to kill.

"She doesn't know," Bones reminded him quietly.

"I don't care," Razor hissed. "She can drop dread--I want _him_."

"Bones?"

Bones looked over his shoulder; Mom was watching them with a look of worry on her face. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," he said quickly. "Our team just needs to have a little talk with Miss Malone."

He kept a firm grip on Razor's arm as the two of them started across the room. As they neared the pair still standing in the doorway, Madman, who was dressed in a crisp gray suit, bared his teeth, flattened his ears and slunk back out into the hallway, leaving Thrasher alone.

Bones let go of Razor, grabbed Thrasher and pushed her out into the coatroom. To his relief, Razor followed them instead of chasing down Madman.

"Where's Derikka?" Bones asked lowly.

"In the bathroom," Razor responded, his voice full of venom.

"Good."

He let go of Thrasher; she brushed herself off with an angry glare. "What the hell is your problem?" she demanded.

"What my _problem_ is," Razor growled before Bones could open his mouth, "is that the girl who left our team because she's a whiner just showed up with the mutant who tried to rape my fiancée. That's all."

Thrasher snorted. "He did not. You're just saying that so I'll quit."

Razor grabbed her shoulders, slammed her into the wall and put their faces an inch apart. He narrowed his eyes to slits and bared his fangs. "Does it _look_ like I'm making it up?"

Bones put a hand to his shoulder, and Razor pulled away slowly. "Have you ever known me to lie?" Bones asked her simply. "I saw it with my own eyes."

Thrasher folded her arms. "A norm?" she said, incredulous. "Even Madman isn't _that_ crazy."

"I saw it," he repeated. "And what he did to her might not have been all-out intercourse, but it still counts as assault."

"And what are you even doing here, anyway?" Razor demanded. "I'll allow that you didn't know just how bad it would piss me off to show up with _that_ , but we all know the only reason you're here is to piss _him_ off."

He jerked his thumb at Bones. "No," Thrasher said icily, "I came to show him that I don't care. I've moved on. Marry the dumb norm. See what I care."

Razor snorted. "Right, sounds like you're _really_ over him..."

"Raze," said Bones wearily, a warning note in his voice.

Razor quieted. "I'm only going to say this once," Bones said lowly. "Leave. Take that sorry excuse for a mutant with you and go. And don't ever bring him back near my--"

Derikka's voice suddenly broke into the heated conversation from somewhere close by, high and strained with fear as she all but screamed out her fiancé's name.

Razor turned pale. If he had skin, Bones knew he'd have done the same. They turned and bolted at the same time, but Razor, when he really moved, was faster than he could ever hope to be. The last he saw of him was his tail skirting around a corner.

"What's all the drama?" asked Thrasher, trotting behind him.

"Shut up and you'll see," said Bones, through gritted teeth.

Only he hoped there was nothing to see. If there was...

Madman had better hope the Rejuvenator really _could_ heal any injury.

He rounded the corner and found himself in a side hallway. There were leftover tables and chairs pushed up against the walls, with an empty coat rack in the corner. Derikka was standing behind a table, her hands pressed to it, body tensed.

Madman stood on the other side, snickering and licking his lips.

Razor was approaching him, fists balled. "I shouldn't even bother warning you," he said darkly, "but I'll say it anyway--get the hell away from her."

Scoffing, Thrasher pushed him aside and marched up to Madman. "Come on, let's go already," she ordered.

Madman snorted, not taking his eyes off Derikka. "Piss off, loser. I'm busy."

Thrasher bristled. "What did you just say to me?"

"You heard me."

"Coming here was _your_ idea," Thrasher said hotly.

"Because I knew _she'd_ be here," Madman said smoothly, licking his lips again. "I never got to finish what I started last time."

Looking disgusted, Thrasher turned to look at Derikka. So did Bones. Her hands were white as she gripped the edge of the table, to say nothing of her face. She was trembling, but her eyes were steely. "You'll never touch me again," she said, teeth clenched. "Not even dead will you touch me."

There was a silence--and then Thrasher whirled and planted her fist in Madman's eye.

The following crash as he broke into--but not entirely through--the wall brought several partiers running to see what was going on, including Malone. "What's happening?" he demanded angrily.

"Madman was just leaving," said Razor coolly.

He grabbed the stunned mutor by the arm; Bones grabbed the other, and they not so gently took him outside. When they went back in, the hallway was empty. They both hurried back to the main room.

Malone was sitting down again, gulping another drink. "Where is she?" Razor demanded, angry and worried.

He wordlessly pointed to the ladies room. Razor waited impatiently outside, and Bones with him, until Derikka emerged. Thrasher was with her, her arm around the smaller girl. "I'm really sorry," Thrasher was saying as they came out, and it looked like she meant it.

Derikka was wiping her eyes and sniffling. "It's okay," she murmured.

She darted forward and into Razor's waiting arms, and the two of them left to sit somewhere quiet for a while. As Thrasher breezed past Bones, Malone stood. "We need to talk."

"Says you," Thrasher muttered.

She all but punched the door down and was gone. For a moment Bones thought Malone was going to follow her, but he sat back down with a sigh. Mom came hurrying over, her long skirt clutched in one hand as her heels clacked on the floor. "What was all _that_ about?" she wondered, her blue eyes full of worry.

Bones wasn't sure how to answer her. Derikka never told her that Madman attacked her two months ago, and she'd all but made him and Razor promise never to tell her, either. "We were just giving Thrasher some advice," he finally said. "Nothing important."

She didn't look completely convinced, but she took a sip from her wine glass and drifted over to where Sherry was sitting. Though most of the room was eyeing him curiously, normal conversation soon resumed, and eventually the unpleasant moment was forgotten.

The reception ran until dark, and would continue until long after, but the time came for him and Sherry to go. "You two have a great time in Spain," said Mrs. Steele as she hugged them both in turn. "Your father and I, well, we're thinking about hitting Iceland next."

"Or maybe the Swiss Alps," said Mr. Steele eagerly.

Bones chuckled. They were right, it _was_ going to be fun to be part of Sherry's family. His mother, who was used to whirlwind personalities, looked like she had taken a liking to them as well. He saw her talking to them both off and on for most of the evening.

Presently she came forward to hug him and Sherry goodbye. "Have a fun trip," she told them with a smile. "And don't you worry about me for a moment. This is your time. Enjoy it."

Bones promised he would...though he didn't promise not to worry. When he had a moment, he snuck away and went up to Malone, who was still parked at a table near the back of the room. "Stay with her until she moves out of the house, okay?" Bones told him quietly. "With Derikka living with Razor now I don't want her to be alone while I'm gone."

Malone nodded mutely and took a long drink. Bones noticed that he was acting particularly sullen and reclusive today--but it was Malone, so he didn't think much of it. Razor and Derikka suddenly came up together; Bones turned to them with a smile. "Stay out of trouble, twerp," he teased, pinching Derikka's nose.

"Don't worry," said Razor, resting his hands on her shoulders. "I'm not letting her out of my sight for a second."

Bones looked at his friend for a moment. "You did good today, Raze," he said quietly. "You didn't lose your cool."

"Didn't I?" sighed Razor. "I manhandled Thrasher, but she really didn't know."

"I meant when you saw Madman. You could have ripped a limb off and beat him with it, but you didn't."

"I thought about it," Razor admitted, with a tired smile.

"So did I."

Razor smiled again and lifted his hand. "Take care of yourself, bro."

"You too...bro."

They high-fived, then Bones went to the coatroom, where Sherry was waiting for him, a pink chiffon shawl draped over her shoulders. He offered his arm; she took it and they headed outside to the car he'd rented, which he drove to a hotel where they changed clothes before boarding their plane.

During the flight, they both planned to sleep, so they would be rested up when they arrived. The jet he'd booked was privately owned by the League, so there was no security and no other passengers. After sitting down and strapping herself in, Sherry put her head on his shoulder and promptly fell asleep. Bones put his arm around her, loving how peaceful she looked as she dreamed.

The weariness of their busy day soon caught up to him, and his head lolled to rest against hers and he dozed off. He woke up once, his eye falling on the chain now dangling from his neck. He looked at his wedding ring for a moment, then tightened his arm around his new wife and went back to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This scene didn't originally have an entire chapter to itself, but since it was over twenty years in the making (in the context of the plot, that is) I decided it deserved it.

After Razor and Derikka dropped her off at home and drove away, Emmaline fumbled to open the front door. Her arms and legs felt heavy, and her head was swimming a little as she struggled to fit the key in the lock. When she finally got it open, she stepped into the foyer, closed the door again and switched on the light. A second later there was a knock on the door.

She jumped in surprise, then opened it warily. Standing out on the porch was Malone.

"I thought we agreed--"

"Your son had other plans," he said, cutting her off.

Without waiting for a response, he brushed past her and headed upstairs. Emmaline watched him disappear down the hall, feeling irritated. She slammed the front door shut. "This is ridiculous," she muttered.

She was going to go up and tell him that in a minute. First, she had a taste for that red wine she had been keeping in the kitchen cupboard, for no occasion in particular.

After pouring herself a small glass, she started up the stairs, jeweled bracelet clacking against the wooden railing as she leaned her hand on it. When she reached Malone's room, he was sitting on the bed, arms draped over his knees and head hung down, almost exactly like he'd sat out in the garden last night. If anything, he looked even more miserable.

Regardless, Emmaline leaned a shoulder against the door and said, "You're acting like a child."

Not _quite_ how she meant to start, but...

It didn't seem to even matter what she said. Malone was doggedly ignoring her, like she was some pesky fly buzzing around that would go away if he just acted like she wasn't there long enough.

Well, was _he_ in for a surprise. "I was just trying to say thank you," she spat, after taking a long sip of wine. "All I wanted to do was let you know how much I appreciate what you've done for me--and the friendship we've had these last two months."

But maybe, she suddenly realized, she had been wrong all this time. Maybe he didn't care about her at all. Not personally.

Drawing herself to her full height, she said icily, "Is _that_ what this is about? Are you just humoring me out of memory of my late husband, and for the sake of my son? If that's the case, get out. I don't need anyone's pity, least of all yours."

Malone finally lifted his head, though his white eyes were unreadable as he looked at her. His face was tired. "Go to bed, Em," he mumbled. "You're drunk."

"I am not," she said hotly. "I'm perfectly sober."

A smile teased at his mouth. "Yeah? How many fingers am I holding up?"

Emmaline saw him lift his hand, but her vision blurred a little. Instead of squinting and guessing at fingers, she rattled out, "The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick."

Not even a stutter. Ha.

"And what about you, smarty-pants," she went on, moving over to the dresser and uncapping the flask she found there. "You drank enough to kill an elephant tonight."

She took a sniff of the flask's contents; her eyes started to water, and she hastily replaced the cap with a cough. Behind her, the bed creaked as Malone stood. His massive form, dark and imposing, loomed behind her in the mirror above the dresser.

"Put that away," he said, nodding to the glass in her other hand, "and go to bed."

She obeyed--by tossing her head back and downing the rest of the wine. Malone breathed a sigh. "Not quite what I meant."

"Who cares," she muttered.

" _I_ do," said Malone. "I can see that you're angry, but despite what you think, I _am_ your friend. And as your friend, I'll tell you one last time: get out of here and go to bed."

"Why?" she asked obstinately, her eyes still on their reflections in the mirror.

"Because I'm tired of looking at you."

Emmaline snorted and dragged her fingers through the loose curls hanging around her face. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were bright, almost wild. "Sorry I'm so repulsive to you," she said tartly.

"Now you're just being stupid. Out."

In the mirror, his eyes almost looked like they were glowing as he glared at her, like twin moons. Emmaline leaned her palms on the dresser as her head swam again. Her gaze drifted lower, and she noted absently that her cleavage was showing--quite a bit, too.

"Em..."

She straightened. "I'm going. Relax."

But as she turned, the heels of her shoes caught on the hem of her gown. She stumbled and fell, landing on the carpet with a thump. At least it was soft, she noted dryly.

Malone sighed again. "Come on," he ordered roughly, taking her by the arm.

She honestly tried to stand, but her legs wouldn't obey. They felt numb, and all she managed to do was tangle her feet in her skirt. Giving up, Malone hoisted her, bridal-style, and breezed down the hall to her room.

Emmaline felt her breath catch in her throat. They had never been this close before. The arms around her pulsed with raw power, and he carried her into her room like she weighed nothing at all. She knew that those arms could crush just about anything--including a frail little body like hers--in an instant. Her head spinning, she fumbled to grab on to something and seized his collar. Beneath her hand, she felt that his heart was pounding almost as hard as her own.

The room was dark, full of long shadows cast by the lone light that was on in the hallway. Malone carried her to the bed and lowered her to the mattress, his touch surprisingly gentle despite his annoyance. Emmaline looked up and noticed for the first time that his hat had fallen off--probably while she was fumbling around on the floor.

He reached up and touched her hand, and she realized she was still clinging to his collar. She didn't let go, even though he gently pushed at her wrist. He was so close she could smell him, musky and rich, foreign and strange. In the dim light, the lines on his face looked deeper than usual, and his eyes were hidden in shadow, like empty sockets. Emmaline didn't think he had ever looked less attractive, or more scary.

She kissed him anyway.

Malone recoiled, putting his hands on her bare shoulders and pushing her away. "Don't."

Emmaline wet her parted lips. "I want to."

She wasn't sure exactly when or how the desire had seized her, but seize her it had. The hands on her shoulders were hot. She wanted to feel them all over her body.

Malone pulled his hands away and started to straighten; she bolted forward, threw her arms around his neck and clamped her mouth over his again. His lips tasted funny, the flavor of whatever he had been drinking all night lingering on them. It made her mouth tingle; she ran her tongue over his lips, drinking in the sensation.

Malone fumbled for her waist, and she clung to him, forcing him to all but pry her off. He looked out of breath as he held her at arm's length. "Don't," he said again, sharper this time.

"Why not?" she demanded. "We're both adults here. Or _I_ am, at least."

"And what have I done," Malone barked, "that makes me so immature?"

"Avoiding me all day, for one thing. You call that mature?"

Gritting his teeth, Malone gripped her wrists and pushed her back onto the mattress, pinning her arms above her head. "I've been avoiding you," he hissed, "because you look so damn beautiful I haven't been able to stop thinking about doing this very thing to you."

"Then do it," she whispered. "You need this as much as I do."

She had no idea how long it had been for him. Probably not since Sarah died. For her, it might as well have not been since she left Butch. Steven Brooks had never given her a scrap of pleasure.

As Malone hovered over her, she was acutely aware of how powerful he was. The thought of that power being used to pleasure every part of her body...

She shivered, her shoe clattering to the floor as she hooked her leg around him. She tightened it as he let her wrists go, not wanting him to get away. "We shouldn't," he said, though she could feel a tightening in his body, a quickening of his breath.

"There's no reason why not," she insisted.

"What about the people we love?” he asked quietly.

"I'll always love Butch, just like I know you'll always love Sarah. I don't expect you to love me--I'm not asking you to. I just want for one night to forget it all, to just-- _feel_ something again."

Malone sighed and leaned his forehead against hers. "We shouldn't," he repeated, his voice a brisk whisper.

She kissed him softly. "Don't be scared."

"I'm not scared of anything," he scowled.

"Then stop talking and take me already."

When he continued to hesitate, Emmaline sat up and started tugging off his clothes. She'd never seen him without that coat. It was extremely heavy, she discovered, and she grunted in frustration as she struggled to work it off his shoulders.

Malone shrugged, and the coat slipped off easily, falling to the floor with a clatter and a thump that probably chipped the wood. Emmaline kicked off her other shoe and slipped off the bed, pulling the pins out of her hair as Malone continued to undress. It felt awkward, him watching her while she watched him. It was the same feeling she'd gotten on her wedding night with Steven--that sense of something new, exciting and unknown, with undiscovered potential. It made her feel young--innocent, almost.

She shook out her curls, then took off her jewelry. She then hooked her thumbs under the straps of her gown and wiggled out of it, letting it pool around her feet. Malone paused, and she heard him draw in his breath.

She smiled softly, feeling flattered. Her skin felt flushed and warm beneath his longing gaze; she absently rested a hand on her throat as she waited for him to finish undressing before she slid off her silk underwear.

Then she all but threw herself back into his arms, straddling his lap as she hungrily kissed his mouth. She wasn't sure what to expect, really. For him to remain restrained, maybe? Instead, his warm hands started roaming her body, firm but gentle at the same time. The texture of his skin was rough, for which she was glad. If it had been silky smooth, like Steven's, she wouldn't have shivered in delight.

"More," she gasped. "Don't stop."

Malone obeyed, stroking and caressing every part of her as their mouths continued to move together hungrily. Emmaline felt dizzy and breathless; she lay back on the pillow, bringing him with her as she wrapped her legs around his. Their pelvises brushed together; Malone hesitated again, and she fumbled for his length, bringing it to her entrance before lifting her hips, burying him inside her.

She gasped sharply--his size was immense--and he moaned low in his throat, though he didn't move. "If it's too much, I'll stop."

She shook her head violently. "No--don't stop. _Please_ don't stop."

There was no denying that it hurt a little. But as she continued to raise and lower her hips, and he began to slowly, cautiously thrust, the pain faded and all she felt was pleasure.

It wasn't like anything she had ever felt before. His rough skin was abrasive, sending shock-waves through her every time he moved. Heat coiled inside her, building and building, until she arched her back with a sharp cry.

Just like that? she wanted to laugh. What Steven had failed to do in five years, Malone had managed in mere seconds.

"More," she whispered again, breathless and shivering.

Malone didn't seem interested in stopping. His hands continued to roam her as his pace quickened, thrusting deeper and deeper inside her. Emmaline arched to meet him, until a second wave of intense pleasure had her crying out again.

Still she wanted more. Butch had always told her she was insatiable--not that he had minded. Her hips jerked, and she gasped as a jolt she had never felt before passed through her core; the head of his arousal had brushed the outside of her cervix.

Malone paused, panting. "Did that hurt?"

Emmaline shook her head. "No," she gasped. "It felt good. It all feels wonderful."

Malone shook his head, sweat trickling down his face as he pulled away. "I have to stop," he rasped. "It's been so long, and..."

He swallowed with difficulty. "I'm afraid I'll hurt you."

Emmaline smiled softly as she sat up and slid her arms around his neck. "It's all right. I understand. Lie back. Let me."

He obliged her and lay comfortably back against the pillows, and she straddled him, gripped his length and lowered her hips until he was buried inside her again. She moaned loudly; he felt hard as steel and hot as fire. It was almost too much, but she didn't want to stop.

She started rocking her hips, back and forth, then in slow circles, while Malone started running his hands up and down her torso, stroking her breasts. Heat coiled inside her again; she clawed at his skin as the wave overtook her again, making her gasp and tremble.

She had no idea how long their coupling lasted--hours, maybe--and she lost track of how many orgasms he gave her. Five? Six? After the fourth one, she felt so light-headed she couldn't count anymore.

Malone suddenly pulled his hands away, his face tight with concentration. "I can't hold on much longer," he warned.

Emmaline just smiled and twisted her hips sharply. "Go ahead," she whispered. "I'm satisfied."

His fists tightening on the sheets, Malone closed his eyes. Emmaline continued her movements, running her hands up and down his torso, dragging her nails over his skin--something he seemed to really enjoy. Sweat glistened all over him now, and his hips were twitching as his orgasm neared. Her days of wedded bliss not wholly forgotten, Emmaline squeezed her inner muscles as hard as she could as she rocked and twisted her own hips.

With a jerk and a tearing of the sheets, Malone let out a restrained grunt and a long moan of pleasure. Emmaline flinched with a gasp--the sudden wave of fiery heat flaring into her caught her off guard. She quickly relaxed and let it flood through her, loving how it felt--and then her insides clenched again, one final intense wave of pleasure shooting through her core.

When it passed, she collapsed on his chest with a rush of breath, where she lay trembling and panting. Tears were streaming down her face, but she didn't care. "Thank you," she managed to say between pants. "That was unbelievable."

Malone put his arms around her wordlessly, holding her to him as his own breath and heart slowed. As she clung to him tightly and shut her eyes, Emmaline vaguely remembered that she had been drinking earlier, which probably meant she would regret this in the morning.

But right now she didn't care. What they just shared was the best sex she'd had in over twenty years, and she was going to bask for a while. She was going to enjoy this feeling, these warm, strong arms around her, holding her so close and protectively. It was exactly the feeling she had been longing for, so for right now, no matter what happened later, she was grateful for it. Lulled by the sound of another heart beating next to hers, she closed her eyes and slipped into the most peaceful sleep she had slept in years.


	11. Chapter 11

"Are you sure you're all right?"

Derikka, who had just gotten out of the shower, looked up from combing her damp hair with a tired smile. "I'm fine," she said gently. "Really."

"It's all right if you're not, you know," Razor told her.

"But I am," she insisted, setting the comb down on the dresser and climbing into bed with him. "And I feel even better knowing that you'll always be there to save me."

"I can't be there all the time,” Razor said pessimistically. “What then?”

Derikka thought for a moment. "I still won't be afraid. Not of him. Not of anyone."

Razor let out a sigh and pulled her close to him as they lay down together. "How did you get so brave, anyway?" he wondered as she rested her head on his shoulder.

Derikka smiled. "Runs in the family."

Razor smiled in return and cuddled his head against hers with a yawn. "What do you think Bones is up to right now?"

Derikka chuckled a little. "I don't even want to think about it. He _is_ my brother, you know."

"Yeah...mine too. Someday."

Derikka yawned and held him tighter. "I know it's not _our_ wedding night," he began slyly, "but we can still play."

"Thanks, but I'm beat. Maybe in the morning."

"Awww, bummer," sighed Razor, though he was secretly relieved. He wasn't really up to it, either. What had happened today was still too fresh in his mind. Remembering it made him tremble a little with anger--and fear. If his words and actions today meant anything, it meant that Madman was still after Derikka.

There had been many similar incidents at the Dome over the years, but this was the first time someone had actually been stupid enough to try again with the same girl. The other lecherous athletes followed the pattern of letting the girl go before taking it too far and then later brushing off the accusations no one could prove. The only one he knew to have ever handled it differently was Joe Magician.

He'd been intoxicated one night and got carried away, and when he sobered up later he admitted to it and apologized. Razor had been surprised, given the guy's past track record. Sometimes he just couldn't figure the other team captains out.

And then something else occurred to him. Maybe Madman had shown up today had been for another reason entirely. Derikka spent a lot of time at the Dome with him and Bones, so there had been plenty of opportunities before today. Maybe, he thought bitterly, his real motive was to mess with them.

If that was the case, he wasn't going to let it get to him, at least not enough that he lost any sleep. Nothing and no one was harming Derikka tonight, not so long as he was here.

With that in mind, he wrapped his arms around her even tighter and went to sleep.

* * *

"This is so amazing," sighed Sherry as she leaned over the railing that bordered the outside patio connected to their hotel room.

After they first checked in, Sherry had immediately wanted to see the sights. They spent the next few hours checking out the nearby surroundings, visiting local landmarks and browsing curio shops. The sky was sunny and clear when they returned to the hotel, the ocean below impossibly blue. The hotel they were staying at was made from white stone, with rustic-looking wooden furniture.

A breeze blew in through the open door and windows, making the potted plants sway, the gauzy white curtains billow. Sherry leaned farther over the railing, her sundress fluttering around her slender legs. Bones had been relaxing out on the patio with her, watching her with loving amusement, but he had since moved back inside. He stood leaning against the tall post of the large bed, waiting for Sherry to notice him.

Finally she turned around--and let out a laugh of surprise. "I know you can get away with walking around naked," she said as she breezed past the flowing curtains and into the room, "but you should at least put on some board shorts before we go out so not to attract so much attention."

She paused, eyebrows lifted. "Especially if you plan to wear _that_."

She stared, looking a little perplexed, at the strap-on he was currently wearing. It was only a few inches long, slightly curved, and colored hot pink.

"I wasn't planning on going out at all right now. We can sight-see more later."

Sherry was still staring. "Isn't that kind of...small?"

"A little," he allowed. "But this way I won't have to worry about hurting you."

Plus he had overheard a conversation between his mother and Cecilia a few weeks ago. Well, actually it had only been an extremely frank comment about how his mother's soon-to-be-ex-husband's impressive size was completely wasted by his inability to do anything with it. Size, he quickly realized, didn't guarantee a woman a good time if the guy didn't bother to work it.

With that in mind, he picked out and bought a smaller device than the one he usually used, giving him more freedom of movement. His other one, which the sales clerk had assured him was both top-of-the-line and a hot seller, was extra long and thick. Sherry approved completely, but he still worried when he was on top that he would thrust too far, or too hard.

The smaller size put his mind at ease...plus it had an extra feature.

"It's just an experiment," he said casually as he hoisted her in his arms and carried her to the bed. "If you don't like it as much, I won't use it again."

His hands were bare, and Sherry let out a pleased moan as he started running them over her soft skin. He stroked her through the fabric of her dress for a while, then eased it off her shoulders and down her body, followed by her underwear. Once he had her naked, he continued to stroke and tease all her most sensitive spots, until she was shivering with desire. She ran her hands over him in return, and though it didn't do much for him, he still liked it when she touched him.

He paused briefly to apply a healthy amount of lubricant both to his new toy and between her legs. He purposely used the kind that warmed and tingled when it came in contact with skin, and Sherry shivered again, squirming and moaning softly as he stroked her. He then pulled his hand away and positioned himself over her, and she lifted her hips to greet him. She gave an odd sort of sigh as she wrapped her arms and legs around him. Lustful, but happy and content. Bones smiled and kissed her deeply.

He thrust slowly for a few minutes, making her moan and sigh in appreciation. And then, as discreetly as he could, he withdrew the controller from where he'd tucked it into his belt and switched it on. A soft buzzing sensation starting pulsing between his legs--not to mention his wife's.

Sherry gave a sharp gasp as she jerked in surprise. "Bones, what--"

She sat up partway, then lay back down with a low moan. Bones grinned; he thought she would be surprised--but pleased. He continued to thrust gently, their hips meeting each time, and Sherry was soon trembling as she clung to him, gasping and sighing at the sensations the vibrating inside her was causing.

Bones waited a while, then moved to the next setting. He was feeling quite pleased with himself at this point and wanted this to last. But since he could pretty much last forever, he watched for the signs Sherry gave out when she was tiring, not to mention kept track of how many orgasms she had. He noted that the combination of vibration and thrusting was able to bring her awfully fast, and more frequently. She was soon clinging to him, her body shaking and trembling against his as her fingers dug into him.

"Should I stop?" he whispered.

She shook her head. "Not yet," she gasped. "I want to keep going, I just--it feels _so_ good!"

As she spoke, she arched her back with a squeak as yet another orgasm took her. "Just tell me when," he said, grinning.

She let out a shaky laugh and ran her leg up and down his back, encouraging him to continue. Bones complied, and then, after thinking about it for a moment, switched to the highest setting.

And then something changed, something that started to worry him. Sherry made a sound almost like she was in pain, and her face pulled tight. Bones stopped, alarmed, but she clawed at him. "Don't stop," she all but screamed, arching against him.

But Bones did stop, unsure of what to make of this. Not wanting to push her over her limits, he thought it was best to switch off now, but Sherry grappled at him as she undulated her hips, bumping the controller out of his hand.

He quickly fumbled for it as she continued to rub their hipbones together. Suddenly she let out such a cry that he pulled away fearfully, leaving her body as he sat up. Looking down he saw, with considerable surprise, that his midsection and pelvis were dripping wet.

"Sherry?" he said fearfully.

If he had hurt her in some way...

He pulled the belt off, tossed it aside and leaned over her; her eyes were closed and her breathing was labored. "Sherry?" he said again, pushing the hair off her sweaty face. "Are you all right?"

She gave the tiniest of nods and went still. It took Bones a moment to realize that she'd fallen asleep. After cleaning up, Bones sat beside her quietly for the next hour or so, waiting until she woke up. When she did, she let out a sleepy laugh as she stretched, then rolled onto her stomach. "Hey, sexy," she said dreamily.

Bones lay on his side and propped his head on his palm. "Are you all right?" he asked, brow furrowing in concern.

Sherry laughed again softly. Her eyes danced as she looked at him, her smile warm and loving. "I'm better than all right. I'm married to the most wonderful man in all the world. Who's shown himself to be even more wonderful than I thought if he can give me a gusher of an orgasm."

Bones lifted a brow. "Is _that_ what that was?"

Giggling, she nodded. "It must have been. It was the most incredible thing I've ever felt."

"Wet, too," Bones said wryly.

Sherry just smiled, too full of bliss to flush in embarrassment. Then her happy look faded a little as her eyes turned distant. "You're so good to me," she murmured. "I wish I could do something for you in return."

"Don't," Bones said firmly. "You can't change what I am, so don't waste time wishing for something that can never be. Being with you has already made me happier than I've ever been. Don't wish for more. What you've already given me is enough."

She smiled softly, her eyes moistening. "You're so sweet," she whispered as she leaned to kiss him. "I love you."

"I love _you_ ," he said, brushing the hair from her eyes. "More than I ever thought I could love anyone."

Sherry put her arms around him and held him tightly for a long moment, then let go and slid out of bed. "I'm feeling a little hungry, so I'm going to get dressed. Let's have lunch on the patio."

"Take your time," said Bones with a yawn. "We have two weeks. Let's enjoy every moment of this."


	12. Chapter 12

Emmaline awoke slowly, feeling oddly peaceful and content. Her senses returned to her lazily, bringing a faint buzzing to her head that reminded her she'd had a little too much to drink last night. Memories of her son's wedding drifted back to her in bits and pieces.

And then, all of a sudden, she became aware of something. Beneath the blanket, a pair of arms were around her. A warm body rested against her back. Soft breath touched her hair, slow and rhythmic. Panic seized her, tightening her throat--and then it all came rushing back.

Arguing with Malone. Irritated words that had somehow turned into desire. Heat coiled in her middle as she remembered what they had shared.

She lay frozen, her breath held in fear of waking him. What had she done? What would they do now?

But the moment of panic passed as quickly as it had come. Emmaline looked down at the hand resting on her own, remembering the feel of those hands all over her body as she softly entwined their fingers. She enjoyed this feeling, this closeness they had now. And she had enjoyed what they had shared last night.

She didn't regret it. It would probably never happen again, but she was glad that it did. It helped remind her that there was life outside this messy divorce, that someone, somewhere still cared about her. And had the will and the ability to please every part of her.

As she lay quietly, fingers still tightly clasped to his, she wondered if she would object to doing that again. No, she decided. Not for a second would she object.

She didn't know if she should tell him that. Malone was Malone, and she was willing to bet when he woke up he _would_ regret what they had done. It gave her such a nervous, uncertain feeling. It was a strange feeling, one she had never felt before.

After her wedding night with Steven, she had gotten up alone and had a cup of tea while he snored. After her first night with Butch, they had awoken wrapped in each others arms. They had greeted each other shyly, whispered I love you, then made love all over again. This was different, the feeling inside of her foreign. She felt like a little girl, unsure of what lay ahead. That hopeful but frightening feeling of, okay, it's the morning after. What next? Where do we go from here?

She didn't know, but no matter what, she was determined that it wouldn't ruin their friendship. If he regretted it, she would say thank you and forget about it. But if he didn't...

Malone stirred suddenly, pulling her from her thoughts. She twisted in his arms until she faced him, and his eyes blinked opened. He stared, looking surprised and a little confused to see her.

She hadn't been the only one who'd had too many drinks last night.

She didn't know what his feelings were, but she wanted him to know hers. Smiling, she moved closer and kissed him, then brushed her fingers over his cheek. "Hey," she said softly, still smiling.

Malone blinked. "Hey."

His hand rested on the small of her back. His skin, rough and pebbly, was so different than what she was used to. It sent a little shiver through her.

His forehead drew together a little as he frowned. "We shouldn't have done that."

Emmaline had been expecting him to say that. "I don't regret it," she said firmly. "Last night was the most incredible night I've had in a long, long time, and I'm not sorry we shared it. If it were up to me, it would just be the first of many times."

Now Malone looked surprised, his hairless brows lifting. She wished she could read those white eyes of his better.

"I meant," he said slowly, a touch of wryness creeping into his voice, "that we shouldn't have done it like _that_. We should have used protection."

"Oh." Emmaline felt warmth creep into her cheeks. "Oh..."

Smiling now, Malone pulled her closer to him. "Incredible, you say?" he asked slyly.

She flushed deeper. "Uh-huh."

Incredible. Amazing. Breath-taking. The list went on and on. Though in all honesty, she felt a little sore, and a little tender, too. But in a good way.

She kissed him again, and he tightened his arms around her as he kissed her back. She gazed at him a long moment, then slipped out of bed. Without bothering to grab her robe, she said, "I'm going to take a shower."

The bed creaked as Malone sat up. "Mind if I join you?"

Emmaline felt like a teenager as she looked at him over her shoulder, biting her lip as she grinned. "If you insist."

* * *

"Are we done shopping for now?" Bones wondered as he reclined on a chaise lounge. Trees swayed lazily in the breeze above his head, and happy vacationers tossed volleyballs and relaxed on the sandy beach in front of him. Sherry was curled up in the lounge beside him, her long legs slipping out of the breezy robe she was wearing. "For now," she said teasingly as she sipped the drink in her hand.

They had been on their honeymoon for almost a week now, yet Sherry was still stocking up on souvenirs. Not that he minded...he just liked relaxing in the sun with her better. While she yawned and stretched her shapely limbs, he grabbed a nearby magazine and flipped it open--and started laughing.

Sherry stopped sipping and leaned over his arm. "What's up?" she wondered.

"Guess who the top hot celebrity couple of the year is."

"Can't be us," she sighed. "I'm just a reporter."

"Plus we only just went public about our relationship on our wedding day," Bones reminded her wryly. "We haven't had time to pose for racy photos yet."

Spanning across two pages was a sultry black-and-white image of Razor reclining on a white sofa, and draped against him, supine as a cat, was Derikka. They were both wrapped in slender strips of black cloth that did little to hide the curves they were covering.

It was kind of weird, actually, looking at his own twin being so sexy, so he hastily turned the page.

"Speaking of which, I'm glad that cameras aren't allowed up here," Sherry commented as she leaned against him lazily. "Except for the ones normal, paying customers like us use, that is."

Bones wasn't anxious to face the proverbial assault that would no doubt start the second they went home, either. He was used to the attention, but prying questions about his love life would be a new experience. He would have to ask Derikka how she handled it sometime soon.

Sherry yawned again. "Want to go swimming after this?"

Bones thought about it for a moment. "In all honesty, I'm not much of a swimmer. Not enough buoyancy."

He wasn't against a little fun in shallow water, though.

Sighing, Sherry stood and slipped out of her robe. "Fine. I'll go by myself."

Bones took one look at the snug, almost non-existent swimsuit she was wearing and tossed the magazine over his shoulder. "Dressed like that? I don't think so."

Sherry just grinned and scurried away, and he playfully chased her down to the water.

* * *

Razor sneezed, then went back to the stubborn bowl of batter he was trying to stir. The kitchen was a bit of a mess, but it was for a good cause. Derikka frequently baked cookies for hospitals and nursing homes, and he, against his better judgment, had volunteered to lend a hand this time.

"That's weird," Derikka suddenly muttered, her cell phone pressed to her ear as she slid a cookie tray into the oven.

Razor wiped flour off his face. "What is?"

"My mom's phone is disconnected."

"Hmm. Don't they usually change the number when someone moves?"

"Usually. But she's not answering her cell phone, either. I tried calling Cecilia, but she says she hasn't seen her since the wedding except at the office, and then only briefly."

Razor paused and thought. It had been a week since the wedding. His best bud had been a happily married mutant for a full week already. And while Sherry was staying Sherry Steele during her day job, when she signed legal documents, her name was now Sherry Justice. And it was funny, but he hadn't known her middle name was Elizabeth until he saw the marriage license. Remembering that official slip of paper now made him smile as he imagined a different set of signatures on it. "Derikka Kidd," he said dreamily. "It has a nice ring to it."

Obviously not listening to him, Derikka slapped her cell phone shut. "Let's stop by later," she said. "I want to make sure everything's okay."

* * *

Malone let out a groan as he nuzzled Emmaline's ear. "Your cell phone is ringing again," he growled.

"I don't care," Emmaline gasped as she clung to him, her bare legs squeaking against the kitchen counter. "Don't you dare stop!"

"You sure?" Malone asked slyly, even as he quickened his pace. "It might be your office."

"They can leave a message," she moaned, arching against him.

She didn't know if the new owners would appreciate it, but in the last week, she and Malone had made love throughout most of the house. It wasn't the furniture-jarring, picture-rattling sex she'd had with Butch; Malone couldn't risk getting that rough. So, after suddenly hoisting her onto the counter and peeling her stockings and underwear off, that was where they stayed.

Malone was grunting and growling against her shoulder, his moans so deep and low she would have found them scary if she didn't know any better. But know better she did, and she had come to love how the vibrations of his body rumbling as he moaned in pleasure hummed through her body as well. After one final cry as they climaxed together, they clung to each other for a while, panting and trembling. When their hearts finally slowed, they parted with a soft kiss.

"I should go," said Malone, smoothing his hat before returning it to his head. "I wouldn't want to scare the movers."

Ah, yes. Today was the day. She was finally moving out of this place and into her new home. Malone had waited until she finished packing the last of her china dishes before lunging at her. After that, all thoughts of moving--or any kind of thought at all--had completely left her mind.

"Oh, don't be silly," Emmaline chided, wobbling a little as she put her feet to the floor. "Although they if _did_ run away, you would probably do a better job."

Malone chuckled. "They're trolls, so I'm sure they can handle it. I've business to attend to."

Though reluctant to let him go, Emmaline saw him to the door and watched his massive boat of a car drive away. The movers arrived a little while later; she showed them the pile of boxes she wanted taken out.

Sherry had sold most of her furniture and major appliances with the house, so there was little that Emmaline needed to bring or buy. She made sure that anything she took was in her name and her name only. She wanted this trial to go as quickly and smoothly as possible and didn't want to risk further dispute.

While the troll movers were loading up the small truck, Derikka's purple car pulled into the driveway. Razor was with her; they looked cheerful as she invited them inside, a look she knew she was mirroring.

"I'd offer you some tea," Emmaline joked as they headed out to the patio, "but the teapot is packed away."

"That's okay," said Derikka. "We just wanted to see how you were holding up."

Emmaline nodded, feeling a little guilty. Most of the calls she had missed were from Derikka. "I'm fine," she said, her eyes on the garden. "It's just been hectic. I'll call you as soon as I'm settled in my new place."

Derikka was looking at the garden, too. "I'll miss this place," she murmured. "You did such a beautiful job."

Emmaline smiled softly. "Thank you."

Leaving the garden was hard, but she could always plant a new one. In fact, she was already planning one.

The movers suddenly honked, signaling that they were ready to go. Emmaline gave herself a shake and went to grab her purse. "I'll call you later tonight," she promised again. "Though I probably won't be ready to serve you dinner for a few days."

"I don't care about dinner, Mom," Derikka sighed as she hugged her. "I just want you to be okay."

Emmaline smiled and kissed her tenderly. "I am. Really."

In fact, she felt happier than she had in ages. Maybe all that was between her and Malone was physical, mere desire and sex, but it had made her feel years younger. She felt lighter, sexier, and more attractive than she had since...

Well, since she married Steven Brooks.

Razor seemed to notice. "You look pretty, Emmy," he said, leaning to kiss her cheek. "You got a boyfriend?" he asked teasingly.

Emmaline flushed. Derikka laughed and swatted him playfully.

"We have to go. See you later, Mom."

They left, and Emmaline hurried to her car and started the drive to her new home. She felt a little bad not telling her daughter the truth, but she wasn't ready for anyone to know. She wasn't even sure what to say, since whatever was going on between her and Malone was too new to really name.

Whatever it was, she wasn't ready to share it. This was something, for the first time in more years than she could remember, that was just for her. Malone had become her special little secret. She would share that secret eventually...but for now, she wanted to keep it hidden, tucked close and tight to her heart.


	13. Chapter 13

As the second week of her twin brother's honeymoon neared its end, Razor noticed that Derikka looked a little restless. She didn't admit to anything, but he knew she missed her mutant sibling terribly and was anxious for him to come home. So when Darkstar called to invite them to a cast party the studio was holding to celebrate the final shot of the film, which they finished shooting earlier that day, they both readily accepted.

Along the way they picked up Emmy, who looked happy to take a break from redecorating her new home for a little fun.

"I'm free," Darkstar exclaimed the second they walked through the door. "Free at last!"

Razor laughed and followed Derikka as she headed straight for the refreshments. She poured them both glasses of punch--spiked, naturally, but with normal liquor. He didn't drink anything strong enough to intoxicate a mutant.

"Was it that bad?" he wondered after taking a sip.

"No," Darkstar decided. "I kind of like acting, actually. Only when my next movie deal rolls around, I'd rather not star opposite _her_."

As he spoke, he glared across the crowded room at his now former leading lady. Despite the room being packed with cast, crew, and family and friends, Luna Maxwell was only aware of a single person.

"He _is_ kind of cute," Derikka noted with a giggle.

Razor almost snorted punch up his nose. "The hell you say?"

Derikka laughed jovially. "I was kidding. I only date men with scales."

Razor still glared across the room in annoyance. The boyfriend Luna had spent the entire filming process mooning over was a norm of average build. Tan skin, long black hair held back in a ponytail, casually dressed in jeans and an old leather jacket. He was pretty young, too, and not at all what Razor had been picturing. But it was obvious from the way she clung to his every word as they talked, Luna worshiped the ground he walked on.

And speaking of worship...

Derikka breathed a sigh as she caught sight of Cecilia edging her way through the crowd toward them. "I think I'll go grab a doughnut or something," she said, scurrying away.

Emmy, who was sipping a glass of wine nearby, deliberately turned her back and moved over to a nearby clump of partiers, where she started chatting with Spew as her best friend caught up with Darkstar.

Her hair a brilliant splash of red, pale pink, and a funny streak of purple, Cecilia coiled her arms around Darkstar and started peppering him with kisses. "Hey, sexy," she purred.

The object of her affection was sitting down, which was the only reason she was able to reach him without standing on something. Darkstar grinned as he put an arm around her waist and yanked her into his lap. "Hello to you, too. You shouldn't wear so much clothes, it's a pain to take off."

"That's what the short skirts are for," Cecilia said slyly.

Darkstar snorted. "Doesn't mean I don't still want you naked. Skin against skin is the only way I do it, babe."

Razor slapped his own forehead and slid his hand down his face. "Jeez, why don't you two just tattoo each other's names to your crotches already?"

The two of them ignored him and proceeded to inspect each other's tonsils. Derikka came scurrying back, a pile of doughnut holes in her hand. "Try one," she said eagerly. "They're chocolate with mint cream filling."

Glad for any excuse to look away from the shameless couple, Razor took one and popped it into his mouth. "Mmm. Chocolate-covered minty goodness."

Across the room, Emmy suddenly laughed. "I complete agree with you, Spew."

"Dead meat," said Spewter, waving as she walked back to her family.

"Gimme," said Razor as Derikka started to hand a doughnut hole to her mother.

"Don't be greedy," she scolded.

Emmy just smiled and held up her hand. "Thanks, but I'm at the age where I need to behave myself."

"I'm not," said Razor, grabbing the rest of the pile and stuffing them into his mouth.

Derikka let out a huff. "Guess I'll go get more," she muttered, scurrying off again.

Wine glass still in hand, Emmy put her other hand on her hip and shook her head. "You two _do_ realize you're in public, don't you?"

Cecilia was straddling Darkstar's lap, and they were groping each other in a less than family friendly way. Cecilia let out a lustful sigh, her hair streaking with more purple. "She's right," she purred. "Let's go somewhere more private."

"Sorry," said Darkstar, gripping her waist and setting her to her feet. "I have PR to do."

Cecilia groaned and complained, but Darkstar was firm. "I'll meet you later," he promised.

"Okay," sighed Cecilia, still clinging to him. "Don't be too long. I love you."

They kissed and parted. A splattering sound made Razor turn his head; Emmy had spilled her wine.

"Something wrong?" he wondered as she flushed and straightened her glass.

She was staring after Cecilia, who was leaving the party, having no further reason to stay, it seemed. "In all these years, I've never heard her say that."

"Not even insincerely?"

"Not even then. Men have always been just a game for her. She doesn't believe in love."

"Or marriage," Razor added slyly.

Emmy flushed prettily. "Let's not talk about that."

"You sure? I think it's only polite to give Malone a heads up."

"Heads up about what?" asked a rumbling voice behind him.

Emmy went from flushed to pale in a hurry. "Nothing," she squeaked. "Not a thing."

Razor knew better than to continue teasing her when Malone was actually present, so he quieted. Emmy cleared her throat and set her glass down. "I think I'm ready to go home."

"I'll drive you," Malone offered.

"No, thank you," Emmy said crisply. Her cheeks were reddening again.

"It's no trouble. Let those two stay and have fun."

As the two argued about it, Razor glanced over at Derikka; she was at the snack table fighting Mo for the last of the doughnut holes. They were both laughing and playfully throwing things at each other. Emmy glanced at them too, then breathed a sigh. "All right," she finally agreed.

Razor watched them leave together, then joined the others at the snack table. Sitting off to the side, all alone and drooping dejectedly, was Cannonball. "What happened to Mike?" he wondered.

Derikka stopped pelting Mo with almonds and scowled. "Cecilia broke his heart. Sometimes I'd like to slap her. Most of the men she gets involved with are jerks, but sometimes she picks someone who deserves better than to be teased and then abandoned."

Razor eyed the miserable mutor sympathetically. "Darkstar can handle it, at least."

Derikka snorted. "He's still too young for her."

"The debate of 'how young is too young' will rage forever, Dare."

But he had to admit that Cannonball, the youngest member of the team, was too naive and inexperienced to get involved with a woman like Cecilia. Darkstar, though still a decade younger than her, was the oldest member of the team and knew full well what he was getting himself into.

"I'm just lucky you're so sweet," said Razor, pulling Derikka close and kissing her lips.

"That's the doughnuts you're tasting," she said wryly.

"Oh? Is there frosting lurking anywhere else I should know about?"

Mo scratched his head. "Eat dirt?"

Derikka laughed. "He's right, we should save _that_ little tour for later."

* * *

"The studio should hire you for their next film," Malone commented as he pulled out of the lot. "You did a good job acting like you didn't want to leave with me."

Emmaline unbuckled herself and scooted across the seat. Resting her hand on the back of the driver's seat, she pushed his hat off and started kissing down his face and throat.

"What was Razor talking about, anyway?" he asked as she started nipping at his skin.

"Just a bet he was kidding around about," she said, her voice low and husky. "They're betting on Cecilia and Darkstar getting married. It'll never happen. Cecilia Wintercrest doesn't believe in marriage. She's told me so a million times."

As she continued to nip at his throat, she ran her other hand down his torso to his thigh, which she squeezed. Malone cleared his throat and made a turn--a little crookedly. "I appreciate the attention, but you had better let me drive."

"Pull over," she suggested, then licked the side of his mouth.

"I can always tell when you've had too much wine. You get frisky. Not that I mind."

"Come on," Emmaline coaxed, her voice pleading now. "Pull over. Let's get lost under the stars."

"Very tempting," said Malone, his voice strained. "But I don't have any protection on me. So please, settle down until we get to the house, okay?"

Sighing, Emmaline stopped stroking his thigh and went back to her seat, though she smiled as she buckled herself in again. "You're very considerate."

Malone grunted something and was quiet for the remainder of the trip. When they arrived at the small house she now called home, Emmaline hopped out and hurried up the walk. After unlocking the door, she switched on the nearby lamp.

For the most part, the place still looked like it did when she first moved in, but she had rearranged almost everything, and bought a few touches to add here and there, making the house her own. She could scarcely believe she had already lived here for almost a week.

Bones would be back from his honeymoon in a few days. She wanted to do something special to welcome him home; invite him, Sherry, and the rest of the family over for dinner, maybe?

She was mulling it over in the living room when Malone swooped up behind her, scooped her into his arms and carried her off to the bedroom. Sometimes he worked slowly, other times he went fast. Tonight, he couldn't seem to get her clothes off soon enough. Either method took her breath away.

Sex with Malone was always the same--unbelievable. He was always searching for new ways to excite her, or doing something he had done before a little differently. It was like she was his own private experiment, and he wasn't going to be happy until he had figured out every last way to make her shudder in delight. It was wonderful.

When they finally broke apart, spent and satisfied, he would wrap her in the safety of his arms and hold her until she fell asleep. Sometimes he was gone when she woke up, but he always called to check up on her throughout the day. Since moving into her new home, he didn't spend every spare moment with her, like he had while he stayed with her while waiting for her previous house to sell. Steven didn't know where she was...at least not yet.

When the weight of sunlight on her eyelids woke her the next morning, Emmaline turned her head and saw that she was alone. Her heart sank at the sight.

She knew that Malone had important business to handle, but she still felt saddened when she woke up to find the bed empty, the sheets lonely and cold. She ran her hand over the indentation beside her, then slid her feet to the floor. She stretched her arms above her head--and then doubled over as an intense wave of nausea swept over her.

Gagging, she fumbled for the door, but the bathroom was too far. She staggered, fell to her knees and retched.

"Nice," she muttered, eyeing the wet stains now marking her pretty silk nightgown. She had gotten it in her hair, too.

She retched again, but it was only a dry heave. Panting and choking, she stood and stumbled toward the bathroom. Just as she was reaching for the doorknob, she heard a different door creak open. The metal knocker, the one that hung on the front door, rattled softly.

Emmaline paused; her head was foggy and her vision was blurry. "Malone?" she called weakly.

No one answered. Absently wiping at her nightgown, she padded barefoot down the hall and into the living room. She looked across the room and at the front door, expecting to see the towering figure of a mutant in red standing in the doorway.

Only it wasn't. It was a blond, middle-aged man in a crisp black suit.


	14. Chapter 14

For a moment Emmaline was too stunned to speak. Then anger coiled hotly in the pit of her stomach. Her fists balled at her sides. "You have no right being here, Steven," she said darkly. "Get out."

Steven ignored her, his dark eyes trailing over her new home with a look of distaste. "Until the courts say otherwise, we're still married. I have every right."

"This is _my_ home," Emmaline cried, outraged. "I paid for it, I own it, it all belongs to _me_. You have no right to come barging in here!"

Steven's eyes continued across the room, eventually resting on her. His look of distaste grew to one of disgust. "This place is beneath you, Linny," he said coldly. "But judging by the stench coming off you, you've hit rock bottom. So I guess it suits you."

Emmaline trembled with rage as she absently clutched at her wet hair. "Get out," she repeated.

"Or else what? Call the police? You know there's nothing you can do to me, Linny."

"Stop calling me that and _get out_!"

Steven just smiled his most oily smile--he reminded her of Prigg when he did that--and leaned against the table near the front door, disturbing the vase of flowers she'd put out.

And then Malone came breezing in through the open door. Steven flinched and leaned back, as if Malone were a force of nature about to blow him down. "I know you," he stammered. "You're--why are you--"

The fractured sentence came to a halt, cut off by Steven squeaking in a very unmanly way. Malone had grabbed him by the back of his fancy suit, like he were scuffing a whiny puppy. He turned and carried him out the door. Through the window, Emmaline saw Malone not so gently discard Steven on the hood of his car.

"That's harassment!" Steven sputtered. "I'll sue!"

Malone didn't offer him so much as a backward glance as he closed the door. Smiling weakly, Emmaline rested a hand on the nearby bookcase. "Thanks."

Malone's expression was dark as he came over to her, but she knew it wasn't her that he was mad at, so it didn't bother her. "Did he hurt you?"

She shook her head. "No. I..."

Malone was tilting her face back, inspecting her. Remembering her stained nightgown and damp hair, Emmaline flushed and looked away. "I'm a bit of a mess," she faltered, twisting a damp lock of hair.

Steven was right. She reeked.

Without a word, Malone lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bathroom, where he twisted on the shower. "What happened?" he wondered as he gently undressed her.

"Too much wine, maybe?"

She laughed weakly. After taking off her soiled nightgown, Malone pulled off his own clothes, then lifted her again and stood her in the bathtub. Without a word, he started massaging her hair as the spray of the warm water soaked into it.

Emmaline was at a loss for words. No one had ever pampered her like this before. Not even Butch, she realized. They had climbed into the shower together a few times, but it was always for...other reasons.

Treating her like she was more fragile than glass, Malone rubbed shampoo into her hair, then started massaging shower gel over her skin. Emmaline felt warmed to her core, and in a different way from when he usually touched her. Being with him made her feel so special, so wanted. For all his coarseness, he had done nothing the last week and a half but treat her like royalty, like she was someone who mattered. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so loved.

The thought sent a jolt through her. Their time together had been so physical, the concept of love hadn't entered her mind. It never entered her mind, period. After how love had gone for her in the past, she had given up on the idea of ever feeling that emotion for a man a long time ago.

But as she lifted her eyes, squinting slightly in the mist from the shower spray, she realized that emotion had crept into her heart and settled in without her even noticing. She loved this mutant who stood silently over her, caring for her with a tenderness she never knew he could possess. She loved him.

Malone suddenly reached around her and twisted the shower knob. Emmaline flinched as the water turned hot. "It was fine," she said, turning it back down again.

"You were shivering."

Her face heating, Emmaline couldn't look at him anymore. She finished rinsing her hair, then twisted the shower off and stepped out of the tub. She squeezed the excess water out of her hair, then started drying herself with a plush towel. Malone took a smaller one and started blotting her hair.

Emmaline felt so torn it made tears sting her eyes. Half of her wanted to say it, and say it strong and proud. I love you, Malicious Malone.

The other half of her was too afraid. They had only started spending time together three months ago. Their friendship, which had come to mean so much to her, was still so new. She didn't want to lose what they had by saying too much, too soon.

Once she was dry, Malone started to grab her bathrobe from where it hung on the back of the door; she hastily took it from him and pulled it on. She needed to move, to do normal actions to distract her. Keep her mouth shut.

Malone helped her anyway, tying the robe shut for her. He was still nude, though he didn't seem to mind. Emmaline found herself looking at him, absently wondering when she had stopped picturing the man he used to be and only saw the mutant he had become. Somewhere along the line, he had become beautiful to her.

Malone gave her a funny look; she'd stared for too long. "What?"

She smiled faintly. "Just thinking how handsome you are."

He snorted and started dressing again. "I am not."

"You are to me."

He grunted something and didn't respond. Emmaline hesitated briefly, then put her arms around him, resting her head on his middle. "I mean it," she murmured. "You've been so good to me. You've cared for me like no one has in a long, long time. I can't tell you how much that means to me."

Actually, she could. But she wasn't ready to say it.

Malone rested a gentle hand on her hair and held her close. "I'm here for you, Em. No matter what happens, I'll always be here for you."

* * *

"You ready to go?"

Sherry, who was floating on her back in the beautiful blue water, let out a pained groan. "I don't ever want to go," she sighed, paddling in a circle.

Bones smiled. He'd come to enjoy being in the water more than he used to, though he still couldn't swim in deep water very well. Understanding, Sherry made sure they stayed in shallower water. "Derikka called a little while ago," he commented, grabbing a clump of her submerged hair and letting it slide through his fingers. "She says Mom wants to throw us a welcome home party, but she's not sure where to have it."

"Tell her to have it at the house," Sherry said promptly. "We can make it a welcome home-slash-house warming party."

"She thought of that, but Mom's worried you might feel weird, seeing how she's changed the place around and all."

"Nonsense," said Sherry. "She has way better design skills than me. I can't wait to see how she's settled in."

Bones massaged her shoulders a moment, then bent to kiss her forehead. "We're leaving tomorrow," he reminded her.

She groaned again. "But I don't want to go," she complained. "Let's live here."

Bones laughed and kissed her again. "Tempting, but life beckons. We have to get back to it."

Sherry breathed a dramatic sigh. "Fine. But I don't have to like it."

* * *

"I'm going to go see my mom," Derikka announced as she and Razor headed across the parking lot to his car.

Razor yawned; they had just finished another interview, with another bubbly host who asked the exact same questions the last bubbly host who wanted to know all the details about their relationship asked. For all that note-taking, the press was sure clueless. "Want me to drive you?" he wondered.

"No, I want to stop home first to change, so I'll take my car." She flashed him a grin. "She's really looking forward to Bones coming home tomorrow and probably needs help with all the cooking she'll have to do between now and then."

"Can't be _that_ hard," Razor said with a grin. "Bones doesn't eat much."

"She wants everyone to be there when he gets here."

"The whole team? My, she's brave."

Derikka giggled and kissed him briefly, then darted around to the passenger side. "You think she'll mind you dropping in like this?" he wondered as they both buckled in.

"Nah. Her office hours have been cut back to give her more time to prepare for court, so what could she be doing?"

* * *

Emmaline arched back with one final cry before she collapsed, panting, onto Malone's chest. His own breath short, he put his arms around her and held her until she stopped trembling. Then she let out a giggle. "We ruined lunch."

Their discarded clothes were scattered across the kitchen floor, littered with the remains of the soup, chili and sandwiches she had been making when Malone suddenly pounced on her. "Why the sudden urge, anyway?"

"I love chili," he quipped.

Giggling again, Emmaline kissed him and stood. Malone did the same, his eyes on their clothes. "A tragic waste," he lamented.

Emmaline watched as he started gathering the bundle up. "What are you doing?"

He smirked as he headed out of the room. "It's called laundry, my dear."

Emmaline made a scoffing sound as she hurried after him. "Malicious Malone, if you do my laundry, I'm going to fall in love with you."

He laughed, and she blushed furiously; she hadn't meant to say that out loud. Thank goodness he hadn't taken her seriously.

Soft knocking on the front door made her jump. Embarrassed to be standing naked in her living room, and with the curtains open to boot, she scurried to her bedroom, yanked on her robe and hurried back to answer the door.

"Um, it's in the middle of the day," said Derikka as she stepped inside.

"So?" Emmaline said crisply. "If I can't lounge around in my robe all day in my own home, where can I?"

Derikka grinned. "You need any help getting ready for the party? I talked to Bones a little while ago and he insists we have it here. Sherry approves."

Relieved that it wouldn't make her new daughter-in-law feel weird, Emmaline headed back to the kitchen. "You could bring the extra chairs up from the basement," she suggested. "The reinforced steel ones," she added slyly.

Derikka snickered. "I doubt that will help, but I'll get them."

She scurried off, and Emmaline started mopping up the soup and chili off the floor--and then she stopped, her blood turning cold.

She had just sent Derikka to the basement. Malone was doing her laundry. Her washing machine was in the basement.

"Derikka," she called, dropping the mop and running to the basement door. It was open a crack.

"Don't worry, I found them," came her daughter's voice.

Emmaline listened to clanks as the chairs were gathered, but that was all she heard. There was no sound of the washer running; relief filled her. Malone must have heard Derikka come in and was hiding somewhere. Getting dressed, she hoped--though with his clothes soiled, there wasn't a thing she owned that would fit him. If need be, she'd tell him to wrap himself in a sheet.

After hovering outside the door for a moment longer, she went back to the kitchen. In the basement, she could hear Derikka humming to herself. The sound made her smile. Ever since she was a baby, music had been in Derikka's soul. As a child she was always the first to start singing at a birthday party, and come Christmastime she would prance around belting out carols. That she'd made singing her career of choice had been inevitable.

Recognizing the tune, Emmaline hummed a few bars to herself as she swiped the mop across the floor. And then someone shrieked, followed by a series of terrific bangs and thumps.

Startled, Emmaline dropped the mop again and ran back to the basement, where she skidded to a stop. Malone was standing outside the now wide open door, still nude, a bottle of detergent in his hand.

Emmaline's hand flew to her heart. "What happened?" she asked fearfully.

Malone looked stunned--and a little fearful. She'd never seen that kind of look on his face before. "I startled her," he faltered.

Her throat tightening as a sense of dread took her, Emmaline rushed to the basement doorway, which was right at the top of the steep wooden steps.

Derikka was lying at the bottom on the concrete floor amid a jumble of steel chairs. Emmaline's knees buckled; she had to grab the door to keep from fainting. Fear choking her, she looked for Malone, but he was gone. From somewhere nearby she heard his voice, speaking low and rapidly. He'd already called an ambulance.

Swallowing, Emmaline forced her trembling, icy fingers to let go of the door and started down the steps. Her legs wobbled, and she half-stumbled most of the way down, until she knelt beside her tiny daughter.

She was unconscious, one arm twisted above her head. Her left leg was turned sharply to one side.

Footsteps sounded on the stairs. "Don't touch her," she heard Malone warn, though he sounded far away.

"I know," she said weakly.

Twisting her hands in her lap, Emmaline sat there, likening her daughter to a little broken doll as she waited. Malone had gone again, though he reappeared in his soiled clothes when the paramedics came. Emmaline watched as they examined Derikka, then carefully placed her in the ambulance. There were no obvious broken bones, they reported, though they planned to take x-rays and do other tests when they reached the hospital.

A hand rested on her shoulder. "Get dressed," said Malone. "I'll drive you."

She wanted to ride with her daughter, but she wasn't ready, and they were leaving now. She hurried to her bedroom and pulled something on at random, then ran out to where Malone was waiting in his car. "I called Razor," he said as he pulled away from the curb. "He's meeting us there."

"Did you tell him what happened?" she asked weakly.

"Just that she'd taken a tumble down the stairs."

Tears stung at her eyes. Her daughter could be paralyzed for all she knew, and here she was worrying that her affair was about to be exposed. Right now, she didn't even care. The only person who might object was Steven Brooks, and if he dared show his face right now...

Emmaline bit back a sob and wiped her eyes. "It's my fault," Malone said quietly.

She shook her head. "It isn't. It's both our fault and no one's. It could have happened even if Derikka knew about us."

Malone was quiet for a long time. "If you want this to stop..."

She wet her lips. "Let's talk about that after we get back."


	15. Chapter 15

When Malone suddenly phoned him at his apartment, Razor wondered what he wanted in the middle of the day--and then he told him that Derikka was being rushed to the hospital. His heart literally stopped.

Amazed he hadn't been given a ticket on the drive over, he burst through the main doors and went skidding over to the front desk. "I need a room number," he panted, as the startled receptionist jerked back in her chair.

"Razor."

He turned at the sound of his name and saw Emmy standing near the elevators. "She's being x-rayed right now," she said as he rushed over. "The doctor will give us the report when they're finished."

"What _happened_?" he demanded, his emotions raw.

Derikka wasn't the kind of girl who was so clumsy she fell down the stairs for no good reason.

"She didn't know I was in the house," said a quiet voice.

Razor looked and saw Malone coming to stand near Emmy, head down and hands in his pockets. "I gave her quite a start."

Razor was too worried about his fiancée to wonder why Malone had been over at Emmy's house in the first place. They had become friends in recent weeks, so maybe he'd stopped over for tea. As improbable as that sounded.

"They put her upstairs," said Emmy in a tired voice. Her face was drawn and worried as she pushed the call button.

As they rode in silence, Razor's nose twitched; Malone smelled funny. Kind of like mustard and chili.

When they left the elevator, the doctor was waiting for them. "All things considered, she came through with a minimum of injuries," he reported with a pleased smile.

Emmy looked so relieved she had to lean on Malone for support. "Can I see her?" Razor asked anxiously.

"In a moment. She's still disoriented. Her left leg was sprained and her right wrist is fractured, but our main worry was the concussion she sustained when her head hit the floor. She should recover without any problem, but she needs quiet right now. Too many visitors could overwhelm her, so we recommend immediate family only."

"I'm her fiancé," Razor said promptly.

The doctor knew that Emmy was her mother, so she said nothing as she absently smoothed her skirt. Malone had his head down as he adjusted his hat. "I'll wait here," he mumbled.

"One at a time," the doctor advised.

"You can go first," Emmy said softly.

She looked drained, Razor noticed, like she was ready to curl up on the floor and go to sleep. He couldn't blame her. "I'll be quick," he promised. After kissing her cheek, he hurried to see his Derikka.

* * *

Emmaline paced outside the hospital room where her daughter lay, pensively twisting her bracelet over and over. She was so relieved Derikka wasn't seriously hurt that she didn't even care if she had to tell about her and Malone. It didn't matter.

In fact, part of her wanted to. Malone had become the best thing to happen to her in a long time, and she didn't want to have to hide him. She was proud of her feelings for him. She wanted everyone to know how wonderful he was, how he treated her like a princess.

The door opened, pulling her from her thoughts. Razor emerged with a happy smile. "She's kind of groggy," he reported, "but she's fine. You can see her now; I'm going to go grab some flowers."

He scurried off to the gift shop, and Emmaline stepped quietly into the dimly lit room. Derikka lay in bed, dressed in a hospital gown. She looked pale, but she smiled. "Hi, Mommy," she greeted weakly.

Swallowing back her tears, Emmaline went and sat beside the bed. "I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered, taking her hand. "I was so scared."

"I'm embarrassed," Derikka muttered. "I thought I was better than this."

Emmaline laughed softly; both she and Bones thought injuring oneself should be beneath a person. Something else could cause the damage and they were fine with it, but to hurt themselves? Unacceptable. Just like their father.

"It's not like you fell on purpose."

"Maybe so, but..."

Groaning a little, Derikka rubbed her forehead. "I had the weirdest dream on the ride over here. So weird I don't think I should tell anyone."

Emmaline swallowed again. "No," she prodded, "you can tell me. You can tell me anything."

Derikka pulled a face, internally debating. "You asked for it. I dreamed that Malone was walking around your house--naked."

She looked at her mother like she expected her to start laughing. But Emmaline was calm and serious as she adjusted her hold on her daughter's hand. "You weren't dreaming."

Now Derikka looked shocked. Emmaline hoped this wasn't too much for her right now. "You see," she faltered, "we were--"

"Holy crap, you've been sleeping with him."

Emmaline cringed as blood rushed hotly to her cheeks. "Yeah. That's pretty much it."

Derikka pulled her hand away, folding both her hands on her chest. She stared silently up at the ceiling for several minutes, her expression unreadable.

"Send him in here."

Emmaline gave a start. "What?"

"Malone. He's here, isn't he? I want to see him."

"Derikka, I'm not sure if..."

Derikka shot her a look, and she quieted. Seeing no other choice, she went out into the hall and informed Malone and the doctor of her request. Since he wasn't family, Emmaline thought the doctor would advise against it, but he told them Malone could go in for a minute. "And then everyone had better leave," he advised. "She needs sleep."

Emmaline had never seen Malone look so nervous. Back in his post-college football days, before heading off to a game, he always looked so calm and focused, his eyes steely. From the doorway, Emmaline watched as he sat down, hat twisted pensively in his hands.

Derikka sat up. "Come here."

Surprised and confused, Malone looked at Emmaline; she could only stare in return. Derikka just smiled and beckoned him closer. Clearly bewildered, Malone leaned closer. Derikka put her arms around him and hugged him.

"I've been wondering all week why Mom's been so happy," she said. "I haven't seen her so cheerful since...well, ever, really. If you're responsible for that, then all I can say is thank you."

With that, she kissed the top of his head and lay down again. Malone slowly replaced his hat, then reached down to pull the blanket around her. He bent and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead.

Emmaline turned away as tears flooded her eyes. Malone came out and closed the door; he put a hand on her arm. "She'll be fine," he murmured.

She shook her head. "That's not why..."

Sniffling, she put her arms around him. He smelled kind of funny, but she didn't care. "Take me home," she said. "I need to tell you something.

* * *

"I feel pretty stupid," Derikka said with a sigh.

After Emmy and Malone left, Razor waited outside until Derikka woke up from her nap, after which the doctor said it was all right if he went in as long as he promised to be quiet. He looked up from the book he had been reading with a smile. "As long as you're okay, I'm happy."

"Not completely okay," she muttered. "They're fitting my wrist with a cast in the morning. It'll be small, but I'll have to wear it for a while. Which means no wild sex for now," she finished wryly.

Razor just smiled as he rested his chin on the edge of the bed. "I can work around the wrist. What worries me is your leg. You twitch an awful lot when you're excited and I don't want you to aggravate anything."

"Like I said, I feel pretty stupid."

Razor breathed a sigh, pretending to be sad as he smoothed hair off her face. "I should have you permanently grafted to my thighs while we're here," he mused. "That way I'll always be able to keep an eye on you."

Derikka yawned. "You're sweet. Incredibly weird, but sweet."

Razor continued to stroke her hair, and her eyes drifted shut sleepily. "Just one thing," she murmured drowsily as he tucked her in. "Don't tell Bones."

Razor grinned. "Not a word," he promised.

* * *

Emmaline's hand shook a little as she unlocked her front door. She was heading straight for the kitchen to make some tea. Malone didn't drink tea, but after today, she needed something good and calming. "Can I get you anything?" she asked as she started warming her favorite teapot.

Malone shook his head and sat down. Unlike her old kitchen, the quaint round wooden table looked like doll furniture next to him. The old chair creaked unhappily beneath his weight. "No, thank you. You wanted to tell me something?"

Emmaline's face warmed, and she fumbled the teabags, feeling like a little girl. During the ride back from the hospital, she had lost her nerve. She didn't know if she had the right to say what she wanted to say. She was technically still married, and she knew Malone still loved Sarah. As close as they had become these last few weeks, it didn't mean he wanted to be with her. Not on a permanent basis.

Falling in love with him had taken her completely by surprise. After twenty years of dealing with a broken heart, she had abandoned all hope of ever feeling for someone again. But she did, so strongly it was starting to scare her. "I just wanted to thank you," she faltered. "You've been so good to me the past few days. Oh, and how you handled Steven the other day? That was awesome."

'Awesome' wasn't a word she often used, but there wasn't any other way she could describe how he had tossed that man through the air like he were made of paper. She had considered herself to be acceptably independent all these years, not needing a man for anything--even after she had married Steven, she hadn't needed him--but the fact that she now had someone around who could protect her from pretty much anything...it gave her such a warm, safe feeling. She was the princess, but he wasn't the knight. He was an entire army.

She glanced at Malone before reaching for the sugar; he was smiling. "My pleasure."

It occurred to her that he didn't really start to smile at her until after they had become intimate. Now, he smiled at her all the time. It was nice.

"And..."

Emmaline wet her lips, not sure how to continue. Or even if she should. Keeping her eyes on the steam starting to coil out of the teapot, she said, "And I want you to know how much you being here for me means to me. I know I've said that before, but..."

Hands resting on her shoulders made her jump; she hadn't heard him get up. "I'm here for as long as you need me, Em," he said, his voice softer than she had ever heard it. "And if I'm ever not here when you need me, just call, and I'll come running. I'd do anything for you, Em. Anything."

She smiled softly and reached up to touch his hand. He held it tightly. "In fact I'd...that is, if it's all right with you, I'd..."

He stopped. Emmaline lifted an eyebrow; he sounded so flustered. "What I'm trying to say is, Em, is that you and me..."

He stopped again. Emmaline turned around to look at him. He had his head down so the brim of his hat hid his eyes. He gave his head a shake, grunting in frustration. "Never mind. Forget it."

Emmaline just smiled softly and put her hands to his chest, pushing him back. He gave her a curious look, but he let her guide him back to the kitchen chair. When he sat, she pulled his hat off, cupped his face and kissed him. Her eyes moistened as she pulled away again. "I love you, too."

For a moment he just looked at her, his white eyes tight. Then he grappled for her and pulled her close to him, and he let out his breath slowly as he held her. Neither of them spoke; words weren't needed in a moment like this. When they finally parted, he reached up to touch her face. His expression was calm and controlled, but for once, Emmaline could clearly see what was in his eyes.

Happiness.

* * *

It was a good thing Sherry was driving her jeep as they headed to Mom's house from the airport. Bones knew if he had been at the wheel, he would have swerved off the road just now. " _What_ happened yesterday?" he asked in alarm.

"I said, Derikka slipped on my basement steps while bringing up some chairs for me," his mother repeated calmly as he pressed his cell phone harder against his ear canal. "Don't worry, it wasn't anything too serious. But the doctor advises she not get too excited, so after you and Sherry arrive, Razor is taking her home before the others get here."

In the background, Bones heard Derikka wail, "Mom, I told you not to tell him!"

"He's your brother, dear. He deserves to know."

Derikka whimpered. "Great. Now my cooler than cool brother thinks I'm too pathetic to walk and carry something at the same time."

Bones snickered. "Tell her I don't think that."

Derikka probably didn't know he could hear her. He doubted she would call him 'cool' if she did.

"We should be there in a few minutes," he said.

"All right, sweetie. Derikka, try to control yourself, the doctor said if you get too worked up you could pass out."

"Who, me? I'm no wussie."

Bones snickered again and hung up. "Family is fun."

Sherry smiled at him. "And I'm glad I get to be a part of it," she said seriously.

When they pulled up outside the small cottage, he scooted over and took a moment to kiss her deeply. "That didn't take long," Sherry noted after they'd parted again.

The once yellow exterior of the house was now painted cream and sky blue. The white fence and garden stones remained, though the porch was now bordered with a neat row of recently overturned earth. The bare dirt was marked with pictures of what rested in the ground, waiting to sprout; a plethora of brightly colored tulips.

"It was really great of you," said Bones as they headed up the walk. "Giving this place to her, I mean. You're the best."

The best wife. The best daughter-in-law. The best everything.

"Come on, B, let the girl breathe," said Derikka as she stepped out onto the porch.

Sherry laughed as they parted again. "I don't mind," she said, though she _did_ look a little breathless.

Instead of running up and tackling him like she usually did, Derikka stayed on the porch, leaning her good hand on the support pillar. The other was bound in a cast that extended a few inches below her wrist, and it looked like she was favoring her left leg.

"How did this happen, anyway?" he wondered as he mounted the steps.

"Don't ask," Derikka said sourly. "It's too embarrassing."

"For who?" wondered Mom as she joined them.

"Me. I'm supposed to be above this kind of thing."

Grinning, Bones hugged her--carefully--for a moment, then wrapped his arms around Mom. "I missed you," he murmured.

Derikka snorted. "Bet you forgot she existed while you two played bury the treasure in the sand dunes."

"I had fun," he admitted mildly, "but I still missed her. And you, too," he added, kissing his feisty twin's cheek.

"Anything we can do to help?" asked Sherry as they headed inside. "I know how daunting satisfying mutant appetites can be," she added with a grin. "Especially the Pukes."

Mom paused, a funny look on her face. "Pukes?"

"Mo and Spew," Bones explained.

"Oh. No--we have everything under control, for the most part. Aside from a little of my own cooking, I ordered takeout."

When he entered the kitchen, Bones stopped and stared. Malone was here, which didn't surprise him--but the fact that he was standing at the stove, calming stirring a boiling pot did. Derikka bugged her eyes out. "Holy crap, she domesticated him."

Razor, who was unwrapping a mound of paper plates and setting them on the table, starting snickering. Malone paused to give him his deadliest glare, and he shut up in a hurry.

Hopping on one foot, Derikka went over and opened a drawer. "This is where you keep your aprons, right?"

"Derikka," Mom said wearily, "behave yourself."

Bones didn't get how she was misbehaving--until she pulled out a frilly apron with pink trim and held it out to Malone. "It might be a tight fit, but it's definitely your color."

Malone paused again, though Derikka didn't respond to his death glare. In fact, it seemed to encourage her. Smiling, she rested her head on his arm. With a sigh he patted the top of her head and went back to stirring.

"It's the meds," Razor explained. "She's been extra goofy."

"She's goofy without meds," Bones said dryly.

Derikka hopped again, turning around to face him. "You think _I've_ been bad? Wait'll you hear what--"

Malone slapped his free hand over her mouth, cutting the sentence short. Mom, who was blushing for some reason, rubbed her eyes. "Let's not address that issue just yet," she pleaded.

Brows lifted, Bones looked at Razor, who shrugged, equally puzzled. "So," Razor began, setting the plates down and rubbing his hands together, "what'd you bring me?"

"Nice to see you too, Raze," Bones said wryly.

"We bought you a snow globe," said Sherry, passing him the glass object with a tiny island inside. Tropical birds and blue glitter swirled around it instead of white snow.

"Uh...thanks?"

"You're welcome," said Sherry crisply as she hugged him.

"Don't diss the snow globe," Derikka said tartly. "If you really understood them, you would unlock the great secret of the universe."

Everyone stopped and stared at her. She grinned sheepishly. "At least, that's what I heard."

Razor set his souvenir down with a sigh. "It's definitely time for your nap," he declared, picking her up.

"Fine," she muttered. "But I want Bones to tuck me in."

Razor passed his fiancée to her twin, who carried her down the hall to the guest room. All humor left her eyes as she hugged him tightly with her good arm. "I really missed you, big guy," she whispered.

Bones hugged her back as he gently placed her on the bed. "I missed you, too. Crazy antics and all."

Derikka smiled as he pulled the blanket to her chin. "I'm just trying to distract Mom from all this divorce crap. Although," she went on slyly, "she's found something that'll distract her better than I ever could."

"What do you mean?"

Derikka yawned and closed her eyes. "She can tell you. Though you might have to throw yourself down the stairs to get her to talk."

Wondering what in the world that meant, Bones kissed her forehead and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. A moment later there was a thump from the kitchen, followed by a wordless cry from Sherry.

Bones bolted across the house and skidded through the kitchen doorway. "What happened?" he asked, alarmed.

Sherry was kneeling on the floor--over Mom, who was lying on her side. Her face was pale, and her breath was weak.

"She just--fell," said Razor, sounding worried and confused.

"I'm fine," she said weakly as Bones fell to his knees beside her. "I just got so dizzy..."

"Probably stress," said Sherry gently. "You've been through an awful lot lately."

"Should we cancel the party?" wondered Razor, brow furrowed in concern as husband and wife helped her sit up. She always seemed so strong to Bones, but now she felt small and frail in his arms.

Mom gave her head a shake. "No--I'll be fine. I just need more sleep, I guess."

Malone came over and wordlessly handed her a cup of tea; she sipped it gratefully. "If I feel too overwhelmed, I'll lay down. I can trust you three to make sure the house is still standing when I wake up, right?" she added wryly.

"I'll try," said Bones, just as wryly.

"I'll keep them in line," Malone promised.

Bones stood, his eyes on the powerful mutant. He beckoned discreetly; they left Mom with Sherry and went out into the hall. "I just wanted to say thanks for staying with her all this time. I know it must have been inconvenient, but I really appreciate it."

"It was no trouble," Malone said mildly, eyes hidden by the brim of his hat. "In fact, it did me a lot of good in a lot of ways."

Bones wasn't sure what he meant by that, so he went back into the kitchen. A little while later the rest of the team arrived, and the greetings were loud and rowdy. "Time for me to go," Razor said with a sigh. "Doctor's orders."

He went to get Derikka, who gave everyone a sad hi and goodbye, clearly unhappy about having to miss the fun. After they drove away, Bones kept a close eye on Mom, but she seemed fine. Her color had returned, and her eyes were bright as she laughed with everyone. A group of rough and rowdy mutors didn't look like her type, but she really seemed to enjoy being around them.

So did someone else, apparently.

"When did this happen?" he wondered, nodding to Cecilia and Darkstar, who hadn't separated since they arrived together.

"At your wedding," Mom said dryly. "They've been inseparable ever since."

"For two whole weeks?"

For Cecilia, that was a record. As she and Darkstar cuddled, her hair was more purple than red or pink. "What does purple mean?" he wondered.

"I'm really not sure. It's never been purple before. It makes me kind of nervous."

"Why's that?" wondered Bones.

Mom glanced at Malone, her cheeks darkening. "Don't ask."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone who actually gets the snow globe reference...must be an enormous geek--like me! *does the geekdom dance*


	16. Chapter 16

Emmaline stifled a sigh as she tapped at her laptop's keyboard. With the trial right around the corner, Cecilia had cut her hours back at the office, though Emmaline wouldn't have minded going in for more than a few hours once or twice a week. These days she did most of her work parked at her desk at home, which was pretty boring.

She propped her chin in one hand and continued to type with the other, but the lines of words and numbers were starting to blur. She paused to rub her eyes; the phone suddenly rang.

Emmaline answered it, spoke quietly for a moment, then hung up. Malone came into the room as she was scribbling something on her notepad. "Everything all right?"

Emmaline swallowed. "It's official. I make my first appearance in court on Monday."

She had never done anything like this before and didn't really know what to expect. Other than Steven trying to pull something, of course.

Malone was studying her as he leaned over her desk a little, his pale eyes full of concern. "You're not well, Em. I'm worried."

"I'm fine," she said distractedly, rubbing her eyes again.

"You're too pale, and you've lost weight."

"It's just stress."

"Stress has a habit of messing with a person's health," he said insistently.

Emmaline looked up at him, a frown creasing her face. "You want me to go see a doctor or something?"

He shrugged. "It couldn't hurt. I'd feel better knowing you were in good health before making your court debut."

Seeing he wouldn't be satisfied until she agreed, Emmaline leaned back in her chair with a sigh. "Fine. Derikka is going in for her first follow up tomorrow...I'll go with her and have them look me over."

"Good."

Malone leaned down to kiss the top of her head, then left the room. Emmaline absently clacked her teeth together. For the last few days, she was finding his constant attention a little annoying. At least, she would for a while. The next minute she would be internally gushing over how wonderful he was. Her emotions had been bouncing all over the place lately.

"I'm too old for these kinds of mood swings," she moaned, holding her head in her hands and staring at the screen.

The words continued to blur, and she eventually gave up and switched the laptop off. Or maybe, she thought bitterly as she stretched and pushed her chair back, her age was exactly why her moods were so erratic lately. That was _just_ what she needed to start days before appearing in divorce court--menopause. She didn't expect to start that stage of life for at least another ten years, but it would be just her luck that her body wouldn't want to wait that long.

Only one way to find out. Grabbing the nearby phone, she dialed Derikka's cell number. When her daughter came on the line, she said, "Do you mind if I join you at the doctor's office tomorrow?"

"No," said Derikka, "but I can go by myself. Well, Razor said he'd take me."

"I'm sure he did, but..."

She breathed a sigh. "I feel like I'm coming down with something. Plus my first court date is Monday. I'd rather not show up with the flu."

"Hmph. Isn't Malone taking care of you?"

"Yes," said Emmaline, embarrassed. "That's not the point."

"I was kidding. Sure, we can go together. I don't mind."

They spoke a moment more, then hung up. Emmaline glanced at her watch; it was still early, and she felt agitated. She didn't need to go anywhere right now, but she felt like taking a drive, just to get out for a while. She went to grab her coat, said a quick goodbye to Malone and headed out to her car. Hopefully, a long, relaxing drive would clear her head. There was a lot to prepare before Monday.

* * *

Bones absently tapped his fingers on the fancy oak desk, his eyes wandering around the richly furnished office he sat in. Across from him his mother's lawyer, Marshall, was taking his time flipping through a stack of papers. "At this point," he finally said, "I think it's best if we hold you in reserve. Steven Brooks is extremely slimy, and his friends are even slimier."

"Tell me about it," Bones muttered.

"There's a chance this will all go swiftly and smoothly, since your mother isn't seeking any monetary compensation. All she wants is to be rid of him. Most men would gladly take this easy escape and get out, but Brooks..."

"Is a vindictive little bastard," Bones supplied.

Marshall smirked. "Basically. We have to be prepared for the possibility that he will fight this with all his might. Not because he doesn't want to lose your mother, but because if it means putting his name under scrutiny like this, he's going to make this as difficult as possible. Mostly as punishment for leaving him."

Bones understood. She had caused _him_ pain, so he was going to cause _her_ as much pain as he could in return. And that meant spreading lies and doling out threats. It made his blood boil, and he didn't even have any. "So," he said, leaning back in his seat a little, "you want me to be a surprise witness?"

"They're perfectly legal in this state, so yes."

"But I'm sure he's told everyone about her connection to me."

"His defense, probably, but it can't have gone further than that. Once word of what he did to you and your family gets out, it's going to reflect badly on him no matter what he says or does. That story is going to generate your mother a lot of sympathy."

Which was why Brooks was threatening repercussion if he took the stand. In hindsight, Bones' decision to keep the story of how he found his mother and twin away from the media had indirectly helped Brooks. Now, he wanted to make sure that that story stayed quiet--until it was the most beneficial for _him_ , no doubt.

"Okay," he said. "Let's do it that way."

* * *

_I'm not afraid_  
_I know wherever I am_  
_And wherever I go_  
_You're here with me_

_Even when I'm alone_  
_I'll feel safe and warm_  
_Because I hold your love inside my heart_  
_Just like you hold mine in yours_

Razor blinked his eyes open slowly, stretching beneath the covers and smiling. Derikka had her head rested close to his, her eyes and smile soft as she looked at him in the morning light. "That was nice," he said dreamily. "Is that a new single?"

She leaned closer and kissed his nose. "Nope. I wrote it just for you."

Touched, Razor watched her with loving eyes as she got up and started pulling clothes out of the dresser. Derikka wasn't a needy, high-maintenance kind of girl, so adjusting to living with her had been easy. He had only had a small dresser mostly used for storage, with the rest of his clothes kept in the closet, but once Derikka moved in she'd bought a larger dresser to keep her regular clothes in.

Her fancier clothes, like for special occasions or something she would wear when she expected to see her fans, were kept in what used to be Bones' room. She hadn't brought much else with her. Things like hair dryers and curling irons, which were a small, travel-friendly size, were kept in Bones' old closet, in neat storage bins. Derikka liked neat, which was a nice change. His living space had never been so organized and tidy.

Not that she was in the habit of moving and touching his stuff. She organized the things they both used, like bathroom towels and toilet paper, but left his clothes and other personal belongings alone.

"The perfect girlfriend," he sighed, content. "And the perfect wife, someday."

Derikka was setting out a crisp skirt and jacket set. "I'd love to start planning that out," she grumbled, "but I have to worry about testifying in court right now. This had better not last longer than a couple of days. I don't want to have to mess up the tour any more than I already have."

Razor quieted. Instead of delaying the entire tour, altering all the dates she was scheduled to appear, her company had decided to cancel the first city on the tour instead. Derikka wasn't happy about it, but this meant the rest of the dates on the tour could remain the same--provided the trial ended quickly.

"Are you going with me tomorrow?" Derikka wondered as she folded the outfit on the dresser top. She kept the use of her right arm to a minimum as she worked, though when she visited the doctor the other day, he was pleased to announce that she was healing up quickly. It would still be a while before the cast came off, though.

Razor sat up. "Of course I'm going. You both need my support right now, and you have it."

"Well, wear something nice while you're supporting. It's not exactly black tie, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't look our best. Especially next to all those stiff lawyers."

Understanding, Razor got up to find his best suit. He wasn't called to be a witness, but his presence still reflected on Emmy. They both needed to be on their best behavior.

Once they both had their clothes set out--the trial started first thing in the morning so they may as well get ready now--Derikka dropped to the edge of the bed with a sigh. "I'm getting pretty nervous about all this," she said.

Razor sat beside her and took her hand. "Don't be," he said gently. "Marshall said this should be an open and shut case."

According to what he was told, divorce trials were a pretty short affair. Each side gave their case, called witnesses and presented evidence. They was no specified time of how long or short the trial could be, but Marshall said, given the evidence they possessed, it would be over within a day, two at the most. Having a jury panel present was uncommon, but given the complexity of this particular case, one had been included.

"It would be, if this was any other man. But it's not. Even though she's basically letting him out of the marriage with a silver key, he's not going to go quietly. It's not his style."

Razor didn't know Brooks well enough to know just how this was going to go down. But the man had lied and faked documents saying that Emmy's son--Bones--was dead, along with a whole mess of other things. How hard could divorcing a man like that be?

* * *

Emmaline's legs felt numb as she mounted the stand for the first time, but they held. She sat and faced the courtroom, her eyes drifting over the gallery full of curious spectators. Among them was Razor, who was sitting beside Derikka--both dressed impeccably, she noted. Bones wasn't present, since her defense wanted to keep him a secret for now.

She had her doubts about springing her son unexpectedly, but she had come to understand the reasons. Though over three months had passed since they were reunited, no one outside his team knew. Holding him as their trump card was probably the best thing they could do right now.

Frankly, she couldn't understand why Steven was even bothering bringing this to court. They could have easily handled it all behind closed doors. All she wanted was to have it written on paper that they were no longer married. That was it. She didn't want his money. She didn't want to keep his name. She wanted nothing but complete and total separation--no strings attached.

Any sane man would have happily taken such an offer and run, but...

But Steven Brooks had to be something less than sane if he was willing to battle her in front of judge and jury when he knew that she still possessed the papers that exposed his legacy of lies, the very ones Derikka had taken from his safety deposit box three months ago. That box held everything. His lies about Butch not wanting her anymore. The documents claiming her son had died in infancy. Everything.

Marshall had instructed her not to mention any of that, not until the time was right. He approached and began with the most basic of questions: her name, occupation, her relationship to the defendant. As she answered, Emmaline's eyes drifted over to the table where her hopefully soon-to-be-ex-husband and his lawyer sat. He didn't look worried. In fact, he looked downright smug about something.

Trying not to let him get to her, she focused ahead of her again and continued with the rehearsed responses. Then the first tricky part came. Parker, Steven's lawyer, approached her, and until he spoke they weren't sure which direction Steven planned to take this.

Hands pressed together, the first words out of his mouth were, "Was there any particular reason you abandoned your own son?"

Emmaline felt like she had just been punched. "What?"

"Was it because he reminded you so much of your first husband? Was that why you threw him away? Because you couldn't bear to look at his face, so similar to the man who spurned you for another woman?"

Suddenly, Emmaline couldn't feel the floor beneath her feet anymore. The entire room felt like it was swaying; she gripped at the sides of her chair as her vision blurred.

"Objection," Marshall said sharply. His voice sounded oddly hollow. "Your honor, this is all a farce. We have evidence declaring that Miss Drogues' son died twenty years ago, which was--"

"I can confirm and prove," said Parker, cutting him off as he held up a stack of papers, "that not only did Miss Drogues abandon her son, she also tried to suppress all knowledge of his existence."

As he spoke, he had the papers passed to the judge, who slid on her glasses to look at them. "Note that we were also able to supply DNA evidence, so there's no question. This man is her son."

"And where is this man?" Marshall demanded, angry and flustered.

Smiling like he was enjoying all this, Parker pointed to the back of the court room. "He's right there."

Emmaline looked, though her vision had darkened around the edges, making it hard to see. A young man, probably in his early twenties, was standing near the gate. He had tanned skin and long black hair, and his eyes were brown.

He didn't look anything like her, or Butch. But it didn't matter. She could tell by the look on the judge's face that she believed. Everyone believed.

She hadn't been in court five minutes and it was already over. He had taken away her primary defense. He had made her the villain in this tale. There was probably more coming--theft, embezzlement, fraud. All crimes he was guilty of, passed on to her. She would probably wind up in jail. Her life as she had known it was over.

Her vision turned completely dark and she felt an icy cold embrace her. She knew no more.


	17. Chapter 17

As Bones suspected he would, Razor found him first. With Derikka trotting behind him, he came into the locker room and paused, brows lifted. Bones couldn't blame him. He'd completely trashed the place. Not a wall wasn't dented and not a locker wasn't mangled.

It hadn't helped. He still saw red, and in the midst of that red he saw Brooks' face. All he wanted right now was to punch that face until there was nothing left but a pile of normmie ooze on the floor.

If he had a bladder, he'd then pee on it.

"I guess this means you were watching on TV in the back," Razor noted dryly.

Bones scoffed quietly. "Get lost. I don't want to see anyone right now, not even you two."

He was sitting in the corner, arms draped over his upturned knees. Derikka ignored his command and fell to her knees beside him. She was crying, and her tears worsened as she hugged him.

She didn't say anything, but she didn't have to; he knew what she was thinking. She wanted to kill him as bad as he did.

Bones let out a low growl. "If I ever get my hands on that puny little asshole he found..."

Razor pulled a face. "Oh--him? I recognized him. He's Luna Maxwell's boyfriend."

Bones jerked his head up. " _What?_ "

Derikka wiped her eyes and stood. "Ex-boyfriend, actually. I saw Luna when I went in for a photo shoot the other day and she told me they broke up because she realized he was just using her to enjoy the perks of dating a celebrity. You know--money, cars, expensive gifts, media attention..."

Razor looked disgusted. "Sounds like a guy who would be easy to buy off for just about anything, even lie to a court judge."

Bones looked at them both for a long moment. "What if it's not a lie?" he finally said.

Derikka jerked liked he'd slapped her. "How can you say that?" she hollered. "How can you even _think_ that when Mom loves you so much--"

"I don't mean that she didn't believe her son was dead," Bones said quietly. "I know she did, and I know she loves me. But what if my dad really _did_ get involved with another woman, as brief as it might have been, after they separated? I know for sure that I'm _his_ son, but I don't know for sure that I'm _her_ son. For all we know, it could have been someone else Brooks convinced her was dead--or really is and only your death certificate was fake. Which means I'm not--"

Derikka leaned forward and slapped him. It didn't really hurt, but it quieted him. "Do you have any idea what you're doing?" she asked hotly. "Once you let him get in _here_ \--" she jabbed his forehead, "--then it really is all over."

"There's an easy way to solve this," Razor put in. "Let's do our own DNA test. A real one."

"I don't have blood," Bones muttered.

"So? You've got hair and marrow. With medical advances these days, that's more than enough."

"Like it would matter. The judge believed him today, so why would they believe us?"

He knew it wasn't like him to get this defeated, but this was a different kind of defeat. This wasn't a place you could punt or throw your way to victory. Their trump card had been trumped, and wild, untrue stories about his mother were already flooding through the news. He wanted to bite, scratch and kick his way to the truth, but he didn't see any way how. Steven Brooks was too clever, too protected.

As the camera panned the gallery, he had seen Prigg sitting behind his friend. Smiling.

"Well, I'm not giving up," Derikka said firmly.

"Neither am I. I just..."

He just didn't know where to go right now. "I need to think."

"You do that. I'm going to go dig up evidence."

Bones looked at her wearily. "Dare..."

"Go ahead and try to stop her," sighed Razor. " _I_ sure haven't been able to talk her out of it."

"I was able to last time," she pointed out.

Bones stood. "You were lucky you weren't caught. You might not be so lucky this time."

Derikka snorted. "Like you believe in luck. I'm going."

"At least let us go with," Razor called worriedly as she stomped out of the locker room.

"No, thank you," she called back. "You stay here and help Bones mope."

"I'm not moping," Bones muttered. "I'm...regrouping."

Razor looked around, one brow cocked. "Really? I thought you were redecorating."

It was a weak joke, but Bones felt the corners of his mouth lift anyway. "Come on, let's go catch the little twerp while we still can."

* * *

Emmaline lay curled up on her bed. She hadn't even bothered to take off her shoes when she came in. Malone eventually pulled them off for her before sitting beside her.

Everything felt numb. Her hands, her feet, her heart. She didn't want to go to court tomorrow. There wasn't any point. Steven had already won. He couldn't have been satisfied with a clean break--oh, no. Not him. He had to destroy her in every way possible.

She should have seen it coming, she realized bitterly. She had real evidence in her possession that could ruin him and his career--someone who faked the death of infants wasn't likely to make head of a firm--so his only option had been to ruin her first. It didn't matter what evidence she had. After what he'd done today, nobody would believe it.

Malone was gently rubbing her back. "You should go," she murmured, voice muffled by the blanket.

"I don't care about any of it, Em. I'm staying here. I'm not leaving you."

Another black mark on her record. She'd started sleeping with another man before her divorce was finalized, something that Steven must have figured out the day Malone threw him out. He hadn't had time today--her fainting had stopped the trial early--but he would no doubt bring it up tomorrow. She would be seen as an errant mother _and_ a whore. Wonderful.

Realizing that she wasn't interested in uncurling, Malone leaned over her, resting one hand on the mattress as he smoothed her tangled hair off her face. "In fact," he said quietly, "the lease it about up on my apartment. I was thinking about not renewing it. That is, if you want me."

Emmaline glanced at him. "I don't deserve you," she whispered, eyes moistening.

Malone gently gripped her shoulder and turned her over. He looked at her hard. "That's not true," he said severely. "Don't you dare start believing his lies, Em. I know the kind of person you are. You're a kind, caring, intelligent, classy, _good_ woman. I'm lucky to have you. I find the fact that you love a guy like me nothing short of amazing."

Emmaline sniffled, took his hand and pressed it to her cheek. "You're the amazing one. You've practically waited on me hand and foot these past few days. You're nothing but good, Mal. Maybe other people can't see it, maybe not even you, but I do. Every day you give me more reason to love you."

He touched her face tenderly. "Having said all that, maybe now you'll understand why I won't leave you, no matter what happens. I'm not young, and I'm not handsome. I'll never find another who'll look at me the way you do."

A smile tugged at her lips, though her eyes moistened again. "So, what are you trying to say? That you want to get married?"

He smiled. "As soon as it's legal. Yes."

Emmaline started laughing and crying at the same time. She was hysterical but couldn't help it. The divorce would soon be final no matter what, but the news was already blaming her for crimes Steven had committed. She wondered how long she had before she was arrested.

The phone rang suddenly; she wiped her eyes and reached to answer it. With a dull greeting, she thought wryly that whatever news the other party had couldn't possibly make her day any worse.

"Mrs. Brooks?" greeted a cheery female voice.

Emmaline bristled, but she didn't correct her. It was still legal. "Yes?"

"This is nurse Hamilton. I have your test results."

She must not be sick after all--unless Miss Hamilton was one of those types who sounded happy even when they were talking about murder.

First, she read off the results of her mammogram and pelvic exam--as long as she was there she figured she might as well get them. She especially hated the latter, though. It always scratched.

Most women claimed they couldn't even feel it, but Emmaline had overheard several conversations Derikka had with Razor about her having abnormally high sensitivity. Emmaline soon realized that she must be equally blessed, which was probably part of the reason why that even when Malone went slow and careful, sex with him was always amazing.

"All parameters are normal," Hamilton reported. "Although," she went on, "you show signs of elevated blood pressure."

Emmaline withheld a snort. Big surprise there.

"I recommend finding a way to combat the stress--a health spa might be nice--and the doctor requests that you come in as soon as possible so he can prescribe a vitamin regimen."

Emmaline's stress management was gardening, but she hadn't had time for anything beyond the row of tulips out front. Not that she believed planting flowers would be enough to calm her right now. "I'm already on vitamins," she said. "Calcium, too. Have been for years."

There was a pause, and when the nurse spoke again, Emmaline could plainly hear the large smile in her voice. "I think you'll want to come in anyway."

"Why?" Emmaline asked, with growing apprehension.

"Congratulations! You're pregnant."


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cookies for anyone who gets the laundry joke.

"Come on, Dare, smile."

Derikka looked up from the socks she was folding and gave him her darkest glare. "I'm not in the mood. And would you shut that thing off?"

"I'm capturing the moment," said Razor as he zoomed his video camera closer. "While Bones is out digging up the evidence we need to crack this dirty case wide open, this is us, keeping cool. Look, you're so cool--you're doing _laundry_."

She scoffed and started folding a t-shirt, though she paused a few times to flex her right hand. "We should be with him."

"He works better alone. Trust me."

"We're a team," Derikka insisted. "He's my twin, my other half, my own flesh, blood, and bones. And the next person who comes along and tells me different is getting my foot up his ass."

She tossed the t-shirt aside, got up and stomped off to the kitchen. Sighing, Razor set the camera down and retrieved the shirt from where it had landed behind the TV. He'd been trying all day to cheer her up, but it was no use. He wasn't in a good mood, either. His behavior was just a farce, and they both knew it.

There was a knock on the door; he hurried to open it. Derikka came running and hugged her twin hard as he came in. "What did you find?" she wondered as they parted.

"Copies of the court data he brought today. If it's all fake, he did a damn good job of it."

Scoffing in disgust, Derikka snatched up the folder he was holding and started going through it.

"What do you plan to do?" Razor wondered.

"The only thing I can do," Bones said simply. "Tomorrow I take the stand. I'm going to tell the real story, and anyone who tries to stop me is going to regret it."

* * *

Emmaline wasn't sure what time it was when she slipped out of bed and went to stand in front of the dresser. Hand on her middle, she looked herself over in the mirror for a moment, then pulled her nightgown over her head and flicked the dresser lamp on.

It didn't help much. No matter which way she looked at herself, she saw no evidence of what she had learned today. Always conscious of staying slim and healthy, she had kept fit, and her stomach was trim and flat. But if that crazy nurse was right, then she was three months pregnant. The last time she'd had sex with Steven was a few days before they first separated, right before Derikka had unearthed the truth.

The very idea that one of his less-than-five-minute sessions with her managed to conceive a child...it was so ludicrous it was laughable.

Instead of laughing, she leaned her palms on the dresser top and choked back a sob. This was the worst thing that could have happened right now. Having her name destroyed was bad enough. Now, once he found out, Steven could attack her over keeping his own child from him. She knew she wouldn't get very far saying that she hadn't told him because she hadn't known.

But it was the truth. She hadn't been eating well lately and had lost weight, not to mention she had just been thinking a few days ago that she might be getting on in her years.

The thought gave her a flicker of hope. Sometimes, a woman's hormone levels got confused when she was exiting her child-bearing years and tests would come back positive, even though she wasn't pregnant. If she could be so lucky...

She wasn't going to hold on to that hope. She had been sick frequently lately, and today was no exception. Earlier she had imagined that person pretending to be her son taking the stand tomorrow, and telling more lies...

It made her feel like throwing up, and she had. Then she dry-heaved for about twenty minutes. She had always had a strong stomach, no matter what was going on, so this definitely wasn't normal for her. And she knew what would happen once Steven found out. He would take this person inside of her away. He had already taken her son away from her, and it was a miracle that she had gotten him back. But if he got his hands on this child, his own flesh and blood...

There wouldn't be a thing she could do. He would make sure she lost all rights, and then he would raise the child to be just like him. Another monster.

 _No_ , she wanted to scream. No, this baby was _hers_. She had only learned a few hours ago, but her maternal side had already kicked in. Her mind, acting like a recording playing old memories, was already going over all the immediate things she had to do. She would have to change her diet, eliminating things like wine and too much caffeine. She would need maternity clothes--and baby clothes. She had only kept a tiny boxful of Derikka's favorite things, so she would have to...

Choking on another sob, Emmaline rested her head on the dresser as she shook with emotion. It didn't matter what she did. She would carry this baby for nine months, and then Steven would swoop in and take him away. She would be lucky if she ever saw his face.

Warm hands took hold of her, pulling her up again. Malone wrapped his arms around her from behind, holding her gently. He didn't say a word, his eyes in the mirror full of understanding. He knew what she was thinking.

Giving up her battle with her tears, Emmaline turned in his arms and held him as tight as she could. He was so good to her. In him, she had found something she never thought she would have again. Compassion, understanding, empathy.

And love. She never thought she could love someone so much again, but her feelings just kept getting stronger. "I wish it were yours," she sobbed.

Sighing heavily, Malone rested a hand on her hair. "That isn't possible."

She knew that, but she had been thinking it all day and couldn't keep it inside any longer. But even if it was possible, it wouldn't change anything. Steven would still win.

She let herself sob for a while, her hands clutching at his clothes. When she finally calmed enough to speak, she whispered, "I want you to know how much you mean to me."

"I know, Em," he said softly.

She shook her head. "I need to tell you. I know we haven't been together long, but being with you has made me happier than I've been in two decades. You've made me feel things I didn't know I could feel anymore. You made me feel special and vibrant and beautiful. I'll love you forever for that."

Malone gripped her shoulders; his face was earnest as she looked up at him. "I love you too, Em. I'm not going to lose you."

Fresh tears springing to her eyes, Emmaline shook her head. "Mal--"

He cupped her face. "I'm not," he said firmly, gruffly. "I refuse to let you go, and I refuse to give up. Don't you give up either, Em. It's not over."

Emmaline closed her eyes and held him. She didn't speak as he lifted her and took her back to bed. There wasn't anything else to say. It _was_ over. Everything was over.

One way or another, it all ended tomorrow.

* * *

Derikka threw down the folder in frustration. "This is useless," she groused. "We haven't found a thing."

Bones had been afraid of that. Apparently, he wasn't as good at unearthing vital documents as his twin was.

Razor stood with a yawn. "I need some air. Want to go for a ride, babe?"

Derikka shook her head. "No, thanks. You go. Have fun."

Razor shrugged, grabbed his jacket and left. Bones leaned back in his seat, glaring at the folder sitting on the coffee table between him and his twin. Derikka pushed aside a forgotten pile of laundry and propped her chin in her hands. "What now, captain?"

"We should probably get some sleep," said Bones.

"We can't sleep now, the trial continues first thing in the morning. And you know that tan little turd is going to wind up on the stand."

Bones wasn't looking forward to that either. If he had a stomach, the idea of this character saying that he was his mother's son and Bones wasn't would have probably made him ill.

Footsteps in the outside hall made him sit up. For an instant he thought it might be Razor, coming back because he forgot his keys or something...but his senses told him otherwise.

He stood just as the door swung open. Steven Brooks breezed in.

Derikka leaped up from the couch, arms outstretched; Bones grabbed her and held her back. "Let me kill him," she growled. " _Please_ let him kill him."

"That won't help," Bones said calmly, though inside he was seething just as hard as she was.

"Maybe not. But it'll make me feel better."

"Derikka...calm down."

She sat, but she kept her fiery eyes glued to her stepdad. Bones almost expected him to burst into flames.

One hand tucked in his designer suit pocket, Brooks surveyed them both with a smug smile. "Can't sleep, huh?"

"What are you doing here?" Bones asked, ignoring both his smugness and his question. No matter what, he wasn't going to lose his cool. He wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

"There are laws about breaking and entering," Derikka spat.

"The door was unlocked, so I didn't break anything. And even if I did, it doesn't matter. That's why I'm here. To show you that I can do anything I want, and there's nothing you can do about it. No matter what happens, you can't touch me."

"Nobody's untouchable," said Bones lowly. "Not you. And not your best friend, either. His time is coming as sure as yours is."

Brooks laughed. "You think so, do you? Once I'm gone, you won't even be able to prove I was here. You can't prove a thing."

Bones watched him closely as he circled the room, as if he were scrutinizing the décor. He was here for a reason other than just to annoy them, Bones was sure of it. He just wasn't sure what. "I can prove I'm my mother's son," he said darkly.

"You can, but no one will believe you at this point. They think my DNA test is real, so in turn they'll think yours is the fake. It's that simple."

Derikka stood again. Bones reached to restrain her, but she brushed him off and went to stand by the TV. Arms folded, she continued to glare flaming daggers. Bones casually stepped in front of her, keeping himself between the two of them.

"But you know it isn't fake. You know I'm her son."

"Of course I know that," Brooks spat. "She sent me a picture of you brats when you were born. And I hated you then just as much as I do now."

"Because you hated my father," Bones guessed.

Brooks eyes flared. "That sneaky bastard," he muttered. "Linny was _mine_ , do you hear me? She was mine, and he swooped in and stole her from me."

"He didn't steal her," Derikka snapped, "she chose him over you. She knew the better man when she saw him. If it wasn't for you, they'd still be together."

Bones wasn't sure that was true. Even if they had stayed together, their father would still have played on that fateful day. But even then, Bones would have had his mother and Derikka with him in the days that followed. He wouldn't have had to face the last ten years alone like he had. Brooks was to blame for that.

"You ruined our lives once," he said lowly. "I'm not going to let you ruin them again."

Brooks' smile was wicked. "Oh? And what do you plan to do about it? All the pieces are in place now--all I have to do is play them. Yes, I made sure your parents never got back together. Yes, I convinced your mother you were dead when you obviously aren't. Yes, it was all lies, but without solid evidence, you'll never be able to prove it."

Brooks' eyes were gleaming now; he was downright giddy, he was enjoying this so much. Bones had about had enough and was ready to throw him out, but he wasn't finished.

"You know something else? Your parents never actually argued about anything. They were the perfect, sickeningly sweet, happy couple. So I took it upon myself to place calls to Emmaline's office in your father's name arranging dates, which he would then miss. It was when your father 'forgot' to attend an extremely expensive dinner reservation he'd made to make up for his forgetfulness, leaving his pretty little wife to sit alone all night looking like a fool did she finally get angry enough to want to sleep at a hotel for a while."

He chuckled. Bones felt a tension growing inside him that threatened to destroy his resolve. He wanted to break this man--he wanted to break him badly. Break, crunch, snap into tiny little pieces.

Instead he spoke a single word. "Why?"

"Why?" Brooks echoed, sounding shocked. "I told you--Emmaline Drogues was mine. If I can't have her, no one can. I'd rather see her dead than in the arms of another man."

Bones balled his fists as the tension started to make him tremble. He wanted to take a step forward, but he couldn't. If he did, he'd never stop moving. And that, he was pretty sure, was what Brooks wanted. He wanted more fuel for the fire.

"Get out," he said, as evenly as he could.

"Oh? Do you want to hurt me?"

Don't say anything, a voice inside him said. Don't give him anything else.

"You aren't welcome in here. Kindly get out."

"I don't like that look you're giving me. I feel inclined to defend myself."

As he spoke, he drew his hand out of his pocket. In it he clutched a revolver. Bones cocked a brow. "You can't hurt me with that."

Brooks' lips peeled back in a wild grin. "Can't I?"

He fired. The bullet passed through his chest plate and nicked his backbone, a little to the left like Brooks had been aiming at the heart he didn't have. Bones looked down calmly, noting with satisfaction that he hadn't so much as flinched. "A hole like that should take about five minutes to heal."

Brooks' eyes were wild now, and his hand was trembling. His grin was wide--Bones thought he looked downright deranged. "Fool. I wasn't aiming at you."

Bones felt something like a ball of ice dropping inside him. He whirled around--and felt that ice ball shatter.

Derikka lay on the floor by the TV. She was slumped against the cabinet, her hair hiding her face. Blood was forming on her clothes and the carpet beneath her.

"You can run to the police if you like," said Brooks as he stepped for the door. "It won't do you much good, though. I have friends on the force, too. And right now it will be very easy to convince the press that your mother has all but lost her mind. That she argued with her daughter over this dark secret she kept from her all this time and then shot her in a fit of rage."

He paused, turning his mad grin on Bones, who was clutching the still, silent form of his twin tightly to him. "Or maybe I'll say it was you. The reasoning might not be as sound, but my good friend Zal has helped me a lot during all this, so I owe him. I think it would please him greatly to finally have you out of the way."

He shrugged. "I haven't decided yet. But rest assured, I'll have the perfect, airtight story ready by morning. Keep that in mind when you come to court tomorrow flinging accusations."

The smile he cast over his shoulder before heading out the door was wide and cruel.

"Good night."


	19. Chapter 19

Bones shook as he looked Derikka over. She felt warm, but the bloodstain kept getting bigger. A fear like nothing he had ever felt before gripped him. "Don't leave me," he whispered. "You can't leave me."

He knew he had to get up and call an ambulance, but his arms didn't want to let go. She had never looked so tiny. So fragile and helpless. He clung to her, tears flooding his eyes as he rested his head on her arm. "You can't go. You can't."

Derikka stirred. "Of course not. I live here."

His head shot up. Her green eyes were open, looking mildly at him through a tangle of black hair. Hand shaking, he pushed it back. "Are you all right?"

She was still bleeding, but she looked alert as he helped her sit up. "Mostly. He's an expert windbag, but he's a lousy shot. He only grazed my arm."

Bones looked and saw that the blood was coming from a spot near her left shoulder. It was bleeding heavily, but the bullet hadn't actually entered her arm. Feeling weak with relief, he held her again. "Sorry I scared you," she said, hugging him as best she could with her other arm. "But I wanted him to think he'd done worse. So he would leave and not try again."

Bones didn't answer right away. He held her for a long moment more before he was ready to let go. "But what to we do now?" he asked as he helped her up. "We can't allow him to just get away with this."

"He sure seems to think he can. He's gotten away with so much for so long, he thinks he can get away with anything."

"Obviously," said Bones scornfully. "We have to stop this, and we have to stop it now. We have to put an end to him."

"Well, _I_ won't be much help," Derikka muttered. "He hit my good arm. Grazed or not, I’ll be wearing a cast _and_ a sling for a while."

Despite everything, Bones laughed weakly. "You really aren't afraid of anything, are you."

She shook her head. "Nope. Well, I _was_ afraid of you when we first met. Because I fell in love with you on sight but didn't understand why. That kind of scared me."

Bones drew her into his arms, gently so not to hurt her freshly injured arm. "Love you too, you crazy twerp. You're a part of me and I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you."

"You won't," Derikka said firmly.

"But you heard what he said," Bones said angrily when they parted again, "he's going to pin this on Mom."

"Or you," Derikka added grimly. "I know we can't just sit here and let him go, but--"

"Fly Tacos, anyone who wants one," said a cheery voice.

They both turned to see Razor coming through the open door. "You know I don't eat those, Raze," Derikka said tiredly. "Those nasty little wings get stuck in my teeth."

Razor grinned. "Guess they're all for me, then."

Then his eye fell on the blood all over Derikka's clothes. "What the hell...?"

The bags he was holding fell to the floor as he rushed forward. "What happened?" he demanded, looking her over in alarm. "Here, I'm calling an ambulance."

"No," Derikka said sharply, grabbing his arm as he reached for the phone. "That's just what he wants. No, no one is going to know about this except us."

Razor looked worried and bewildered. "What are you talking about?"

The twins sat him down and explained what just happened. As Bones knew he would be, Razor was livid by the time they finished. "And we're just supposed to sit here while he walks away?" he cried, pacing the room.

"No," said Derikka, getting up. "But we're not telling anyone what happened here tonight. He's all but counting on it, so I'm going to go patch myself up and pretend like nothing is wrong in the morning. He can't bring up my gunshot wound in court without explaining how he knows I have one."

She breezed off to the bathroom, and Bones let her go, though he had a feeling even that was covered. The idea of holding this out gave her courage, though, so he kept this to himself.

Razor plunked into a chair. "This is insane," he said helplessly.

Bones was rubbing his head. He was tired, and his head was starting to ache. His eyes were feeling extra sensitive, too. Even through his sunglasses, a blinking red light coming from near the coffee table was making him squint.

"So, what are we supposed to do now?" Razor wanted to know.

Bones continued to rub his forehead. "I don't know. I can barely think right now."

And that light was really distracting. "Raze, is that your cell phone?"

Most cell phones glowed annoyingly bright when they were charging. He never saw one that blinked before, but Razor was always getting new models, so maybe it was a new feature. "Can you turn it off? It's giving me a headache."

Razor looked puzzled. "No, my cell phone is in my pocket. That's..."

He moved the jumble of laundry. "Oh, that's just my camera. I was playing around earlier."

Bones jerked his back straight. "What?"

Razor shrugged--and then his jaw dropped when he realized what he was holding. "It's been sitting here since this afternoon," he faltered. "But the latest models are supposed to be able to record hundreds of hours..."

"Raze."

Bones felt his hands tighten on his knees. "Tell me it's so. Please, tell me it's so."

Razor was quiet as he flipped open the playback screen and pushed a few buttons. Bones watched, the tension inside him making him tremble slightly as the light from the screen reflected a jumble of rapid images on his friend's face.

A minute or so later, Razor closed the screen with a click. Face drawn tight, he lifted his eyes.

"It's so."

* * *

There was quite a murmur from the gallery when Bones rose to take the stand. Sitting behind his mother was Derikka and Razor; Derikka reached for her fiancé's hand as Bones sat. Sitting on Derikka's other side was Malone. Bones knew he didn't have to be here, but he was grateful to see him sitting behind his mother, a towering pillar of strength.

The murmurs and whispers continued as Marshall approached him. Across the room, Brooks and Parker were watching with quiet amusement. They both behaved liked they knew what he was going to say, and he knew they would partly be right. Sitting behind Brooks, looking equally amused, was Prigg.

Also sitting in the gallery was the man claiming he was the real son. Bones let himself glare a little as his gaze drifted over him; he ducked his head and sank a little in his seat.

"Please state your name and occupation," Marshall began.

"Bones Justice, member of the Mutant League, captain of the Midway Monsters."

Someone in the gallery yelled out 'all right!' which made most everyone else chuckle. He allowed himself a small smile and waited for Marshall to continue. "And what is your relationship to the plaintiff?"

"She's my mother."

More shocked murmuring. The tan impostor sank a little lower. Brooks and his attorney continued to look amused.

Marshall waited a beat, then turned away. "Your witness."

Parker looked a little startled, but he stood, smoothed his perfect suit and approached. "That's quite an interesting claim," he began. "Do you have any evidence to back it up?"

"Yes. I have evidence in my possession that proves that not only am I Emmaline Drogues' son, it also proves that your client lied and manipulated her and my father apart, as well as falsified documents in order to trick her into believing I was dead."

The murmurings weren't quite murmurings anymore. The judge banged for a moment.

"I see. And what of the man who was in here just yesterday, claiming that not only did his mother indeed know about him, she willfully neglected and abandoned him?"

"A load of crap. He'll get what's coming to him."

He couldn't see the man in question over the head of the person sitting in front of him anymore.

"And you have evidence to back these wild accusations up? DNA, for example?"

"Nope. I've got something better. Verbal confirmation from the defendant himself."

Parker flicked a glance at Brooks, who shook his head. Marshall raised his hand. "Your honor, if I may at this time present a video that was made while the defendant visited the witness and his sister last night?"

Parker paled. "I knew nothing of this. This can't be a legal move."

"Do you object?" wondered the judge.

"Uh--yes. I object."

"Overruled. Continue, please."

While Parker and Brooks exchanged looks and wild gestures, the video was loaded for judge and jury to see. The unnecessary parts at the beginning and end had been cut, leaving only the important part in the middle, in unedited glory.

Bones particularly liked how Brooks kept saying 'yes'. Yes, he knew he was Emmaline's son. Yes, he'd forged his death certificate. Yes, he'd lied, cheated and stolen to break a happy marriage apart. Yes, yes, yes.

When the gun went off, the gallery erupted in wild shouts. It was nearly twenty minutes before things settled down again. In the end the judge had all but concerned parties ejected from the courtroom.

"Miss Drogues," she called, looking frazzled as she adjusted her glasses, "come here, please."

Derikka rose, and the judge came down so she, and the bailiff, could examine her arm.

After that things happened pretty quickly. The jury came back in record time, stating in no uncertain terms that the plaintiff should get what she wanted: a clean break that severed all ties from her former husband.

Mom all but burst into tears, but the judge was far from finished. She promptly scheduled another trial for the near future, in which the remaining issues would be addressed. Perjury, fraud, forging evidence, and--oh yeah, attempted murder.

"Until then, the defendant is to remain in custody. Court is adjourned!"

The gavel fell, and Bones ran to hug his mother. She was sobbing and couldn't speak; he held her tightly and stroked her hair. "It's okay now, Mom," he whispered. "It's over now. It's all over."

Across the room, Brooks looked numb as he was cuffed. Bones was pleased to see that Mom didn't so much as glance at him as they left the courtroom.

Out in the main hall, the impostor was also being detained. "You have quite a few questions you need to answer," said an officer as he pulled him away. "I can't wait to hear them."

Derrika ran to Razor, who was waiting down the hall with Malone, and threw her arms around him, oblivious to the strain this had to be putting on her injuries. "You're the best ever," she sniffled. "I love you and your crazy camera."

While they hugged, kissed, and cuddled, Malone stepped forward, one hand pushing his hat back. "I'm glad it worked out the way it did," he said quietly. "I mean...I'm sorry you've all had to go through so much pain, but..."

Mom smiled and wiped her eyes. "It's okay. I know what you mean. I'm happy, too."

"I'm glad you came," said Bones. "I know you didn't have to, and I'm grateful."

His mom needed a friend like him right now.

Malone pushed his hat forward again, hiding his eyes. "My pleasure," he murmured.

The doors opened again; Bones gently but hastily moved his mother aside as Brooks was escorted out. It looked like reality was starting to sink in, and his eyes wildly scanned the crowd. They fell on Prigg.

"You said this wouldn't happen," he snarled. "I helped cover your sorry ass for the last ten years while you maimed and murdered people for those experiments of yours. How can you let this happen to me?"

Prigg was calm as he straightened his suit and brushed past his now former best friend. "I wasn't the one stupid enough to get caught on camera. Nothing can save you now, Steve. May as well get used to it."

Brooks continued to scream and swear at him; Prigg calmly left the courthouse without so much as glancing back. Bones put an arm around Mom. "Come on. Let's go home."


	20. Chapter 20

To Emmaline, the rest of the day felt like a dreamy haze, though she still had enough wits about her to stop Malone from taking off after they left the courthouse for a quiet celebration. He was nervous because Bones still didn't know about their relationship, and truthfully she wasn't quite ready to tell him either, but she wanted Malone to stay where he belonged--at her side.

The quiet celebration didn't stay quiet for long. The rest of the team, who had been watching the trial on TV, all came to congratulate them. They all headed to a nearby restaurant for a victory dinner. Luna Maxwell, who was still doing PR with Darkstar, looked miserable as everyone sat down.

"I can't believe it," she groaned. "Not only was he a money-grubbing turd, he was a liar, too. I sure can pick them."

Cecilia looked utterly content in Darkstar's arms, though she left them long enough to hug Emmaline and her family. "I'm so happy for all of you," she exclaimed. "This is a truly great day."

She hugged Derikka carefully, and then, after she'd hugged Bones for a little too long, she retreated as Sherry approached with a death glare. She happily went back to Darkstar; Cannonball breathed a sigh.

Derikka looked at him, and then, with a sly smile, nudged Luna. "Why don't you go sit by the window? It has the best view."

Uninterested in eating with them, Luna sat in the directed spot--which was right next to Cannonball.

"Do you think," wondered Derikka as she flipped open a menu, "that all the digging they're going to do through his history will unearth something on Prigg?"

"We can only hope," said Bones.

Emmaline wanted him behind bars, too, but she chose not to dwell on that right now. She had just won the biggest victory. Now wasn't the time to start on a whole new battle.

And speaking of battles...fighting her way past the press later would have been a pain if she didn't have the Puke brothers with her. After parting the way, they politely opened her car door for her. Malone left by a different route and met her back home later.

"If you really don't want to renew that lease," she said lightly as they climbed into bed that night, "you're welcome to stay."

Malone was solemn as he put his arms around her. "I meant what I said, Em. Now might not be the right time, but I'm going to marry you someday. I'm never letting you go."

Emmaline hugged him tightly. "Good."

They held each other for a long, peaceful moment, and when they parted Emmaline absently rested a hand on her stomach. Seeing this, Malone laid his own hand over hers. "I wish it was mine, too," he said softly.

"He will be," said Emmaline. "In all the ways that matter. Steven Brooks might have conceived him, but you'll be the only father he'll know."

Malone studied her face for a moment, then cupped her head and kissed her. "I love you, Emmaline Drogues," he whispered.

Smiling, Emmaline rested her head on his chest as she thought about her previous plan to change back to her maiden name. Now she had other ideas. "Emmaline Malone," she said dreamily. "I kind of like that."

Chuckling, he pulled the covers up higher, tucking them around her shoulders. "Let's worry about that later. For now, you should enjoy being free."

Emmaline thought about that for a moment. "I've always been free. Marrying you won't change that. Since I met you, I've felt more free to be who I really am than I have since I was young."

Malone chuckled again and tightened his arms around her. "You still qualify as young in my book, Em. And I bet the little one agrees."

Emmaline smiled, slid her arms around his neck and stretched to kiss him. She never felt so safe as she did when she was here, lying close to his heart. "I never thought I could feel this happy again," she whispered.

Her heart felt so light and full of love and hope, it took her breath away.

"You deserve to be happy, Em. We all do."

She felt more than happy. She felt like the entire world had opened up to her, and everything she ever wanted was within reach. She'd lost so much, but in the last few months, she had gained most of it back, and found a few things she never would have otherwise. "I'm glad," she said with a soft smile, "that I'll be sharing this new chapter of my life with you."

Everything was starting over. Everything felt fresh and new. She felt like a child stepping outside one winter morning to find that snow had fallen during the night, blanketing the world with an endless sheet of perfect white. A world of untouched possibilities.

She was going to find those possibilities, touch them, grab hold and cling to them as tightly as she could. Yesterday she would never have believed it, but it was safe for her to live now. She could do whatever she wanted. No one could harm her, or her family.

"We should really tell Bones about us," she commented sleepily.

"We should," Malone allowed, "but not now. Let's just enjoy this."

Smiling, she closed her eyes. Yes, she thought. Let's hold on to this moment, so small and perfect. Life handed you so few of those, so when you found them, you grabbed on and didn't let go until necessity forced you to. She didn't need to let go tonight, or maybe even tomorrow. She wasn't afraid to find out, and she drifted off into a peaceful sleep, knowing that a day full of hope would be waiting for her in the morning.

_~Fin~_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there you have it. And I'll be the first to admit that the conclusion to book 2 is a little far-fetched--but no moreso than book 1. Even with a forged signature, the ability to impersonate a coworker, and good ol' Justice iron will at her disposal, I still don't think Derikka could have gotten her hands on the safety deposit box so easily. But hey; it's fiction.
> 
> Thanks again to anyone who actually read this all the way through; enjoy book 3.


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